Somewhere, But How?
by fire and napalm
Summary: Abandoned James and Lily died ... But one Lily didn't like that. Reversing the happening, however, created a change in continuity. One confused werewolf, and one confused seer later, they're moving on with their lives, hidden from everyone else.
1. Prologue

The War was over. And Voldemort had won.

James dragged himself over to where he knew Lily had gone down not too long ago. He hadn't seen what had dropped her. He could only hope it hadn't killed her. Not yet. Not until he could be with her to die.

When he was over there, he didn't bother looking past her face. He didn't want to see what had happened; all he wanted, and needed to know was that she was alive at the moment to join him shortly in death. He'd been caught with a spell that ruptured most of his inner organs, and he knew he was slowly bleeding to death. It seemed Lily would go much the same way. He had seen the spell, and known it had been one to shred whatever it hit. The reason she wasn't dead already was lying beside her, already gone. Sirius had jumped in the way to try and save her. She'd been eight months pregnant, and with their second child. The first had been killed not too far past.

James reached down and wiped her face lightly with his hand. He was well aware of how short their lives had become, well aware that he'd never see his next child, and that his best friend had just died and was lying not far away from his side. It hurt, hurt like hell to know this. To know that Remus had died not so many weeks ago, and that Peter had been the one to curse him with what was killing him now. Even knowing how Peter had died –cursed to insanity by James and Sirius, neither caring that it was an illegal, unforgivable spell they were using- could give him any comfort. All he felt was a black, gaping pit of despair.

"James…?" Lily whispered, blood bubbling gently from the corner of her mouth.

"Lily dear, I'm here." James responded, barely speaking. There was no one here to hear them. No one to know that two people were actually, barely, still alive. James had looked around already. He'd thought he'd seen several people on the outskirts, but they'd never get here in time. They'd been too late when the two of them had been cursed in the heat of the battle. He was going to die, his children and best friends were both dead, and his love was dying beside him. Besides, with who they were, they'd kill them either way.

"James… Sirius, he tried… Our child…" Her voice became strained and faint. She was slipping into the beyond already.

"Hush, they'll be there once we go ourselves. You'll see us all again." James whispered. "We'll see them all again, together." He'd never been religious, but if this was what was going to happen, he'd be damned if he didn't try for hope. "We'll all be there." He reached his hand up to stroke her forehead, ignoring the jolting pain as he moved. He was mostly numb now anyways. The pain no longer mattered.

"James… Somewhere, somehow…" Lily's voice became so faint he didn't even know he could still hear it; yet he caught the words she said. "This will go right somewhere. We can't die like this for nothing. Somewhere, _anywhere,_ this _will_ go right. It has too…"

James nodded, almost unconsciously, before he felt a veil of black slip over his eyes. He'd thought dying would be slower with his bleeding so slow, but as he felt something suddenly pull out of him, he remembered Lily's words.

"Somewhere, _anywhere_, this _will_ go right."

There'd been power there, and as he recognized it, he felt himself echoing her, and giving everything he had left as he watched lights shoot through him.

"This will go right, somewhere."

He just never knew what those words would do.


	2. Chapter 1

Note: I'm going by my level of vision for James; which is to say, rather bad. It's what I'll best be able to describe the fuzziness of, and it seems to make the most sense to me.

2nd part: If you haven't clued in that there will be some anomalies, please do me a favour: dunk yourself in a rain-barrel before continuing.

_November 12, 1981_

_One month past the defeat of the dark lord Voldemort, at Godric's Hollow, at roughly seven thirty that evening._

James Potter opened his eyes with a wince as he became aware that he was lying on the stairs in his home. Why he was there was beyond him at the moment, as he hazily looked across the hall and tried to get around the stuffed cotton feeling in his head. Lily usually threatened to make him sleep in the doghouse, despite them lacking one, but never had she threatened with the staircase. And he couldn't get anything to focus properly. Where _were_ his glasses? He moved his arm to the side to see what was around him and gasped sharply. He recognized that feeling in his arm; he'd broken enough bones in Quidditch to recognize it any day of the week. Trying the other arm he found it to be in better condition than his right one, simply stinging like the dickens as he tried to sit up.

Sitting up appeared to be a mistake though, as once he was up there he was swamped with a massive headache. He closed his eyes to wait for it to pass, and then opened them once more when it didn't abate to get as good a look he could at his house.

He immediately noticed something was very wrong. Even the growing dark couldn't hide the distinct mess of the living room as he looked out on it.

All the furniture was clearly damaged. Things were strewn everywhere across the floor, dark shapes that were missing from the shelves on the wall, which now were at odd angles to what they should be. The silhouettes he was used to were all in the wrong spots, or completely wrong shapes. The pale walls had black smirches and starbursts everywhere, and he could smell the faint tang of char. He was shocked, and leaned forward to the railing to catch his balance. He was so tired, he failed to notice it wasn't there any longer and he fell to his knees on the ground that was fortunately close below him, landing on a number of things that proceeded to break and getting something sharp imbedded in his hands and knees.

The pain cleared the fog from his mind, and he came reeling back to what had happened not too long ago that he could remember: Voldemort, the fight, that horrible green light, and the horrid, sick laughter. However, it wasn't memories of Voldemort that had him doubled-over and gasping. It was the memory that it was Peter who was responsible for this, that Peter, the talentless brat he'd befriended, included, and _trusted_ through school and beyond, that that _rat_ had betrayed them. He felt a bitter taste spread through his mouth, and it wasn't going away. He wasn't sure he wanted it to.

James clenched his hands in the glass beneath him, ignoring the bite into his flesh, and the feel of warm blood on his fingers until he heard someone gasp above him. He held very still for a long few moments before he heard a soft whisper of his name in a heart-wrenchingly familiar voice.

"James… That you?"

James began to list the worst curses he knew in his mind over and over again as he turned to look at her. He'd taken so long to simply think and aimlessly ponder why he couldn't _see_ properly and what was feeling so off, and his _family_ had just been attacked by Voldemort, and he couldn't even figure out that both his glasses and his wand were completely missing and his wife and children were in danger.

James choked as he remembered his little boy, and why they'd hidden to begin with. "Lily, it's me. Harry, where's Harry? Merlin, what happened?"

James heard Lily gasp, and she then began to walk slowly down the stairs, speaking. "James, God, I was so scared you were gone… He's not here James, but Rhiannon; she's in my arms. Don't you have your glasses, or your wand?" Her voice caught as she spoke, breaking with relief before she cleared her throat and summoned his wand. James felt the air move over his head as it flew into her grasp, and he got up behind it. He took a step to right and felt what seemed miserably like his glasses frame bend beneath his feet.

"Lils, don't summon my glasses yet. I think I landed on them when I fell off the stairs, and got the lenses in my hands." James admitted bitterly. Lily chuckled.

"And having glass summoned out of your hands is not the exacting process you'd like?"

"No. No, it's not. Is my wand in one piece?" James asked, moving towards her shape. It wasn't too hard to find her, as her red hair still had colour in the dimming light. He stepped up to her side on the stairs, and she handed him his wand. He sighed as he grasped it, a deep sigh of relief. It was fully intact, and not even damaged. It was quite relieving, and he immediately hugged Lily as tightly as he could with only one arm reliably responding to his will. He needed to know she was there, sore and broken as he was or not. Lily returned a similarly one-armed hug, holding their daughter in her arms. James felt a faint sense of confusion rise about the young girl, but he brushed it aside for the moment. "What happened? To Harry." He asked, choking up.

"I don't know, when I woke up, he just wasn't there. But, our sweet little girl was just fine, she wasn't even crying." Lily answered, although her voice changed slightly as she spoke about the girl Rhiannon. She sighed lightly. "What I'm wondering is how _we're_ fine, now. Do you happen to have a memory of that horrifyingly familiar green light before we just now 'woke up'?" James nodded numbly.

"I heard him say it, the _Avada_ _Kedavra_. He- He was _mocking_ me. I- I was exhausted, and -and… Merlin, I had been hoping so hard that you'd somehow just gotten away, and somehow had survived…" He gave a short, bitter laugh. "And somehow we both got out of this. Somehow." Lily reached up and grabbed him again around the head and pulled his forehead up against hers.

"I have no idea how we are alive James, but I'm not asking that question right now. I'm more worried about what everyone is going to think about us still being living past that – that spell. From him. James, how can that even happen? My head seems to have gotten completely jumbled up from all this, I can't even think straight, and I keep wondering when we had a daughter-" Lily cut herself off short and met James' eyes in shock before they both just stared at the little girl in their arms. She had a small, messy mop of black hair, and she looked older than Harry, but as Lily voiced that she couldn't remember when they had a daughter, they both froze as that information called up a mix of thoughts of blatant confusion, a vague sense of when, and a where. But none of which fit into their personal timeline, as they could remember other events happening at the same times. James slowly reached forward to stroke her hair away from her face, and the girl just smiled blearily, and curled against her mother's chest. Her eyes were a green-hazel, and she had a face very like James' own. James shook his head in confusion.

"She looks a lot like me. I… I can't doubt she's ours. Who knows, maybe it's some – some penance, taking care of her, for our apparent resurrection." James grinned shakily. "Besides, you always wanted a daughter. After we have now apparently woken up from getting hit with the killing curse from Voldemort, are you going to spend too much time wondering about how we acquired a second child? Maybe some cad dropped her in this abandoned building as he no longer wanted her, and it just happened to occur just before we apparently 'came back'." Lily was shaking her head in exasperation, and now she finally just cuffed him behind his ear.

"Alright, alright already. We'll take on the girl, our child or not. Happy?" Lily waited for him to grin at her and she scowled weakly once more. "So now, we have to find Harry and prove we're alive. Shouldn't we be more worried about that, and about Sirius?" The colour drained from James' face, and his face grew stricken.

"Lils, what day is it?" Lily looked at him blankly. "Lily, look! The sun is setting. It was coming on to midnight when Voldemort came and attacked us. It's been at least a day! And I can barely smell anything of burned wood. What can you see?" James nearly demanded, his voice growing hoarse.

Lily glanced around the room, remaining very still as she took in the nearly bare room, with the destroyed furniture and items littered across the floor. However, as she remembered in the room above, there was nothing left there in even half decent condition, and any intact pictures or photographs had been removed. Everything left was also very damp, as though it had been rained on and left there. She idly glanced around again, and then turned back to James. "It's been a while, I'd assume. We're missing some things, and it looks like the remainder has been through a few rainstorms. James, what might have happened?"

"Lily… I have no idea." James idly shook his head, questions chasing each other around in his mind. "Maybe… Maybe we should just go to Sirius' flat. You remember where that is?" Lily looked closely at James' face, reading him as she had many times before. He was in mild shock, clearly, with his eyes almost looking glassy, and he was fighting something. Probably the same something she was struggling with in her own mind.

"James… Yes, I remember." James' face lit up, and he began to speak. Lily overrode him. "But everyone thought he was our secret-keeper, James. If Peter betrayed us, do you think he wouldn't frame Sirius? Sirius was the only other person to know that he was the rat, and don't you go laughing at that. Sirius was the only person who could finger him as the traitor. Think on that, James! Sirius could be dead, in Azkaban, kissed, or just gone. So could Harry; we could be in a world where Voldemort has already won!" The thought of that made bile rise in Lily's throat, but she forced it down. "Have you thought past anything at all here? We don't know that Harry is alive!" Lily choked on her last words, and she had to bite her lip to keep it from trembling. Her voice began to verge on panic, but she took hold of it, and forced calm back into her voice. "Maybe… maybe we should just go to Sirius'. If he is there, we can ask him some questions. If he isn't, we can… we can stay there, if it seems abandoned, or maybe we could go to Remus." Lily's voice just dropped. "Lets just go, James."

James shivered, and gripped Lily's hand in his to pull her close, ignoring the glass biting deeper into his hand. Lily ignored it as well as she placed her head on his shoulder and hugged their daughter between them. "Alright, Lily. We'll go to Sirius, to see if anyone's there. I should have a spare pair of glasses there as well; I'd always break them when I was out with him. We'll clear all this up, okay? We'll keep fighting." Lily nodded with her head still against his shoulder. "This is all so confusing… you think you can apparate with … Rhiannon? I can take her if you need me too …"

Lily stood up straight again, and shook her head, wiping her tears off her face with her free hand. "No, I can do it fine myself. I only had to fetch you there every other day." James laughed palely, and stepped up to kiss her on the forehead, and then to do the same to the small girl she was holding.

"See you at Sirius' flat then?" James asked quietly. Lily swallowed and nodded, and James apparated away. She followed him within moments, and arrived in the dark living room she knew quite well. James wasn't within her sight, and she panicked.

"James? James, are you there?" Lily called. A thud echoed from in the hallway, and then she heard James cuss loudly. "James, where are you? And where are the lights?"

"Give me a minute! It seems no one's been in here for a month or something." The rooms all lit up suddenly, giving light to most everything. "Ah, found them. Owww, Bloody –cursed – Give me a minute, Lily, and I'll get out there to you. I just need to get my glasses on, and to fetch some washcloths. I want my hands clean."

Lily scowled. "And what if someone else moved in, and it's their stuff, and not that of your best friend?" She snapped. James came out of the bedroom and strolled into the living room confidently, despite the cloths draped over his forearm and the blood drying on his hands, and down his knees. He gently touched her face with his fingertips and pecked her on the cheek.

"Because no other idiot would have a picture of my wedding and my son on his bedside table, no other idiot would have left a pair of yellow paw-print boxers lying on his bed when he went to go get himself in trouble. And besides, I did find my glasses here. You think someone new would've left them around?"

Lily scowled. "And the fact that you hid them in the doorframe of his bedroom would've let them find them how?"

James simply raised his eyebrows and dropped into the loveseat by the fireplace, holding out his hands, the washcloths, and a small bowl filled with water. Lily rolled her eyes and set Rhiannon down on the part of the couch spelled so no little children could fall off. She could no longer deny that all of this was Sirius' stuff, and she also knew he owned the place outright, unless someone could prove he was dead. Which he wasn't, of course.

Lily knelt in front of James, and then gently took his hand in hers. There were mostly small shards imbedded in the flesh, and it was an exacting task to get them out, as she wasn't quite so skilled in magic as to want to spell them out. She just wanted to be careful. They remained silent while Lily worked, and Rhiannon just calmly curled up and went to sleep, which, although Lily was sure that was unusual, she was rather grateful for it at the moment. Perhaps the child was tired from whatever force brought her to them, as she could now clearly remember that there was no incident in her life explaining the girl's presence in her personal timeline. That she'd keep the child was no real question in her mind; the little girl was gorgeous, and clearly had no other mother. If she wasn't truly theirs, she was at the least abandoned.

"James? What will we do about Rhiannon?" Lily asked idly, pulling another shard out of his left hand now, the other and his knees already knitting themselves together under a mild healing spell.

"Erg, ah, the little girl? Why do anything about her? She's our child, we know that much, so what's the question?" James responded absently, trying to ignore the pain. "Oww, can't you just vanish it like a normal wizard? You can fish out any pieces you missed after, can't you?"

Lily yanked the next piece out rather brutally, bringing James to almost howl. "I could, but this is more… personal, isn't it? And I just wanted to check your feelings about her, that's all I was asking for." James looked at her reproachfully, but she rather effectively ignored him to work one of the final small pieces out in a gentler manner. A few moments later, she finished. "Well, that's done James. _Coalescere. _Now then." Lily rocked back on her heels and looked up at James as he rubbed his palms together to check how they felt. He glanced up to give her his attention as she spoke. "It would appear that Sirius is not here, and from what you said, he hasn't been here for a while. That would mean that something very likely happened to him, and that that something was really rather nasty. Now, my question is: whom do we seek out next? It's about nine at night, so most people are getting ready for bed, and I'm sure you noticed the moon outside. It's full, so most common sense would say to _not_ go visit Remus right now." However, Lily had a slight sinking feeling in her stomach as James sat up straight at her mention of that and grinned wickedly. "James-"

"Lily, this is perfect! I can go visit Remus and the introduction will be so much easier to explain this way. He can see me, and then come up with some reasoning himself so we can get past that first whole disbelief issue."

"And he'll very likely consider you some hallucination of his desperate mind in a time of madness." Lily snapped. James was unaffected.

"No, Remus knows to trust his nose as a werewolf, and he'll know my scent in a moment. He can't discount that, and I can leave him a note."

Lily made a sound like an angry cat. "Doesn't he lock himself in his closet in his house every full moon? Wouldn't that make running into him both difficult, and bloody dangerous if you were to let him out?"

"He's got a decent plot of land to run in if he's got some clarity."

"And that clarity usually came from a set of three other people."

"You still don't have your Animagus down, do you Lily?"

"I thought we'd clarified I didn't have the ability, James." Lily's voice was painfully dry.

James winced. "Dang it. Well, fine. We'll go to his house and stay upstairs until morning then. Does that sound better? Then we can help him patch himself up, and work out all that's happened. Is that fine with you, Mrs. Lily Potter?" James snipped. Lily sighed.

"Can't we just stay here James? We can appropriate Sirius' bed if he's not here anymore, and then we can apparate to Lupin's at dawn."

James blinked. "I suppose that's an okay idea." He opened his mouth to continue, but Rhiannon had woken up, and she began to loudly reassert her presence in the unforgettable form of a baby's shrieking voice. Lily and James both winced, then smiled wearily at each other before moving to see if the baby supplies they'd left with Sirius were still there.


	3. Chapter 2

**Somewhere, But How? - **Disclaimer Harry Potter is not mine. Go figure.

When the sky began to glow faintly with false dawn, Lily stretched and yawned, blearily opening her eyes to look around at white walls she didn't recognize immediately. She rolled over to try and return to sleep moments before a shrill buzzing assaulted her ears, pulling her upright with a strangled cry. James rolled over and blinked up at her as she was frantically pawing the side table to try and find the alarm. Lily looked frantically around and located the alarm clock on the end table along the far wall. Angrily, she scrabbled her wand off her side-table and blasted the thing. It shut off, and reformed itself immediately afterwards. Lily blinked again, and as James shoved his glasses on, he looked between her and the clock, and chuckled faintly.

"Yeah, that's how Sirius turns it off too."

Lily glared at him, and walked over to the crib she'd pulled out for Rhiannon to check on the girl. Rhiannon was still sleeping quietly; she hadn't woken once in the night. Again, Lily wondered at this, but shrugged it off again with a yawn. The girl hadn't come about normally. It was no surprise she wasn't normal in much else, although Lily entertained the mild hope that she'd even out in good time.

Lily and James took a bit of time getting themselves awake and fed from what was in Sirius' apartment, and within the hour they had most of their stuff together except for a few things for Rhiannon, the little girl they were simply accepting beyond all reason. Lily was just gathering the few small cups of applesauce they had and placing them in the bags in Sirius' room, when she heard steps outside in the hall. Her first instinct was to ignore them, but when someone rattled at the door, she brought her head up sharply just as James darted into the bedroom with her and spelled the door shut. Lily stiffened, and mouthed _'what?'_ to him from her position opposite him.

James responded by stalking silently over to him, and whispering in her ear. "Ministry wizards. Probably checking to see if he might be here, maybe, or if he has anything in his possession that might be useful to take." There was still a struggle happening at the door, and James was at her side, dead still. His eyes were trained on the door to the bedroom, and he had his hand on his wand.

"Is there anything in here Sirius might not have taken with him that he wouldn't want them to have?" Lily whispered back, barely moving her lips, her breath stirring the hair over his ears.

James hesitated a moment. "He usually will leave his most precious items in his closet, in a small box. I think it has one of his wands in there as well."

"Fetch it. I'll grab Rhiannon and then we can go. But lock this door first, in case they get in." Lily hissed, before following her own advice. James set his own spell over hers, and then he eased his way over to the closet. Lily shoved the last few things into her bag, one with a magically expanded interior that looked like a regular muggle backpack. It had originally been a prank gift, but she found it very useful for a child, or as it was now, children.

Lily jumped when she heard the locking spells on Sirius' front door shatter, and then the loud clump of boots in the flat. James glanced around quickly, before muttering _'Accio Adidas shoebox'_ and a thump came from the back of the closet. He dove after it as Lily silently cast several more spells on the door to keep the ministry interlopers out before she dove to scoop Rhiannon, still blessedly asleep, out of her crib. Moments later, someone tried the doorknob shortly before that same someone crumpled to the ground quietly outside.

Lily rolled her eyes as James cursed from inside the closet, where he had his head stuck into the back wall from his hands and knees. He backed out quickly, smacking his head and cursing just as one of the ministry people cursed from out in the hallway. Lily stalked over to him and hissed.

"James, is that it? Can we just go now? As much as we're not fugitives, if this is the same government I last remember, we're in deep shit just by being who we are. _Dead people! _I somehow doubt they'll let us explain that 'oh, we're alive but we've no clue how' particularly with them presently searching Sirius' flat! That means your friend is rather under suspicion, don't you think?"

James scowled. "I noticed. I'm ready to apparate. You go on first, and then I'll follow. Remus' house, inside in the living room, kay?"

"And this because?"

"I'm hiding the trace, so they don't go investigating Remus' house immediately. It is possible to trace an apparation, Lils."

Lily rolled her eyes and stepped back. "You'd better follow damn _fast_. You're better at dealing with Remus than I am, dearest." Lily didn't wait for him to respond, but apparated away just as she heard one of the wizard's hex the door, making it shake in its frame.

Lily appeared in Remus' living room with a loud pop. She hadn't been concentrating, so it was rather messy, but she and Rhiannon were in one piece. Upstairs, she heard a faint curse, and then a hoarse voice called down the stairs.

"Who's there?"

Lily hesitated, and then softly called back up the stairs. "Remus? Is that you?" She was still uncomfortable with her own new existence. However, even without her identifying herself, the werewolf's hearing was keen enough to identify the speaker. She could hear the choke from where she was, and a tinkle of breaking glass. Cautiously, she set Rhiannon on the couch cushion she had insisted Remus and Sirius charm so as to not let the children - little Harry- fall off. From there, she moved to the stairs in time to throw up a shield as Remus came to the top of the stairs and threw a hex down at her.

"How dare you…" Remus growled, as he advanced slowly down the stairs, his wand trained on Lily the whole time. His eyes began to overflow with tears as he moved, stiffly from his injuries, but with a deadly grace all the same. Those yellow orbs held no pity for her, but hot rage. Silently, Lily cursed James' name to Hell and back as she backed off, her tongue tied in fear. Remus didn't have the same skill as Sirius or James, but she still didn't want to trade spells with him. She had never been quick at duelling.

Of course, James, with his excellent sense of timing, apparated into the living room just as Lily had her back pressed into the far wall and Remus reached the bottom of the stairs. Remus, showing surprising ferocity, immediately hurled a cutting curse at James, who didn't duck in time. The spell lashed across the side of his throat, spilling blood across the floor. Rhiannon began to cry, and Remus paused, looking at her with a frozen face. Slowly he turned to look at the child on the couch, before he turned again to James, growling low in his throat.

"Who are you, that you dare show up wearing the faces of my friends? If you thought I might be weaker, easier to fool this soon after the full moon, you are sadly mistaken. I won't be fooled again." James paled as Remus lifted his wand once more, ready to cast. James took only a moment before suddenly he changed, sliding from the form of a man, to his Animagus form of a stag. Remus shivered, sniffed the air once, and dropped his wand, following it to the floor in short order as his knees gave way.

Lily lowered her wand from its defensive position, as the tears that had previously been on Remus' face came faster. James and her reached Remus' side at the same time, as Lily slipped down beside him.

"Remus." She whispered. She placed her hand on his shoulder and watched his face as he kept mouthing that this was impossible, ludicrous, and just how could this all happen to him? James changed back, and hugged his friend, and Remus pressed his face into his shoulder, his whispers of denial never ending even as a smile bloomed across his face.

It was another five minutes before they got Remus to stand again, and they put off all explanations until he, and James, were fully cleaned up. This process took nearly a half hour; Remus had not been nice to himself with the compounding of his grief on his normal behaviour as a werewolf. Between them, they got Remus patched up, and Rhiannon changed and fed as she woke up partway through the process, diverting Lily's attention. Finally, they all were sitting at Remus' table, an alarm set on the door and the floo to warn them of anyone's approach to his home. They settled down with Remus holding Rhiannon comfortably on his lap as she giggled, drifting in and out of sleep.

"How?" Remus choked out. "Just… how? I'd say it was impossible, but it would be pointless. You look and smell like them, everything you do and say is how I remember it. Same voice, same look, and no one can copy an Animagus form. No one. I'd question Rhiannon, but she feels… right as well. Though I've no clue why."

Lily leaned on her hand. "And we have about as good a guess as you as to how and why we're alive. None of it makes sense. We can give you no explanation. We both awoke in Godric's Hollow, with Rhiannon in a crib in the baby room, and her name in our heads. Yours as well, apparently. We hadn't told you her name yet." Remus blinked, then nodded mildly.

James chuckled. "Thus, there is our big explanation. At present, our only solid plans are funeral ones for the rat." Remus glanced over at him; then nodded before he stiffened.

"You did not just say that." Lily looked at him blandly, and James raised his eyebrow. "You… Peter? You switched without telling me?" Lily glared over at James.

"Indeed, Remus. Peter was our secret-keeper." Lily drawled. "James and Sirius were convinced it was the perfect bluff, and that no one should be told, and they over-rode me when I said you should be told. Sirius had thought that you might be the traitor, as _ludicrous_ as that is, and James didn't want to risk what they might do to you if you were the secret keeper and captured. He also had a mild suspicion of you that _I_ never had. Although, I couldn't suspect any of you three. I just couldn't see it. You and Sirius were too dedicated, and you held your friends so dear to you, Remus, you'd never say a word against them, much less turn spy. Sirius had given up everything to be friends with James, so I couldn't suspect him. I should have known." Lily spat acidly. "I never suspected Peter only because he was so insignificant. He had no ties to anyone, so I couldn't see him having one to the dark lord. The fool I was for that, I'll never understand…" James nodded mildly.

"I never wanted to suspect you, Remus, but," James smirked bitterly. "As Lily said, I never suspected Peter because he was so insignificant. Sirius was a brother to me, so I couldn't think anything bad of him, and you… you were the only person I could see doing anything such as manoeuvring for power. You were so… smart, I could imagine you being crafty as I couldn't anyone else, and that just translated into giving a form to a phantom we had stalking us. Please forgive me, Remus. I shouldn't have thought that of you."

Remus sat, silent. His head was down, and he was plainly digesting the form of the suspicions his close friends had had. James sat for a moment, shifting awkwardly before he started to speak again, so as to break the silence.

"I shouldn't have thought that, Remus. Lily and me were very alike in our mistakes of underestimating Peter's lust for power. We should have seen it, should have taken better care, and should have told someone, anyone else! I can't believe we made such a mistake. Now we're all ripped apart, and Lily and I have to rebuild who we were, and explain something we don't even understand."

Remus cut off James' tirade with a faint quote. " 'Should have, would have, and could have, all add up to one thing: Didn't.' You couldn't have known, James, you didn't know. They're spies for a reason; you don't know who they are. You're not supposed to." Remus sighed. "I forgive you, James, Lily. In your position, I suppose you had to suspect someone. A werewolf seems a natural choice." Remus' voice was laced with disgust on his last words; a self-loathing that made Lily's neck prickle. She began to speak, but James beat her to it.

"_Remus_!" James roared. "Don't you _dare_ say that, and you will _never_ say that again!" Remus' head shot up from his hands as James began shouting. "I thought you might be the spy because you were _clever_, the most clever of any of the Marauders. Your lycanthropy had no factor in that, Remus, so if you dare try to say anything like that again, I will personally find someway to make you take it back. I swear it."

Remus blinked at James a moment, and glanced to meet Lily's equally angry eyes. Quietly, he looked between them and began to smile weakly. "I don't suppose I have much choice here, do I?" Lily and James both nodded firmly. Remus' smile widened. "Then I guess we have other things to move on to, then, as I think that subject has been covered and closed. Where do you want me to start?"

Lily said "The outside report of what happened that night!" just as James added his own say of "What happened to Sirius?" Lily glared at him.

"We will go from my point through to yours, thank you James." Remus smiled with amusement as James scowled, but backed down. Remus then began to speak.

"Clearly, Voldemort attacked your house –and this was two weeks ago, actually -, as he'd been told the location by your secret-keeper who was assumed to be Sirius, and the report says James fought him in the living room as Lily ran upstairs to Harry and to try and get out."

James felt a flash behind his eyes as he saw a scene play in front of his eyes.

Voldemort broke down the door as Lily ran up the stairs. James faced him with his wand already drawn, glaring into the human face with its pasty skin and burning red eyes.

"_You think your mudblood wife can escape, Potter? Wormtail is an excellent servant; your emergency plans are moot now, thanks to your good friend."_

_A bitter taste flooded his mouth; he'd never felt so betrayed in his life. And very likely, it would one of his last feelings before death. Somehow, he found he'd have rather died in Lily's arms…_

The scene changed briefly to_ an image of a blood soaked battlefield, where he saw himself holding Lily's head, her lower abdomen and unborn child a mess of blood and torn flesh just in front of a torn body he knew through no physical recognition was Sirius. _

Bile filled his throat, choking him before his eyes could refocus on Remus' face as he told of the ministry saying that the spell Voldemort had used on Harry had backfired and killed him instead.

"The house was destroyed, but Dumbledore told me that he sent Hagrid to fetch Harry out of there to take him somewhere safe until a home could be found and made safe enough for him." Remus swallowed before he could continue. "The next morning, in muggle London, Pe-Pettigrew faced down Sirius, as it was reported to the press. Pettigrew accused him of –of betraying you to Voldemort, and killing them. The street exploded, killing twelve muggles, and all they found of Pettigrew was one of his fingers. I suppose Sirius may have lost control at the accusation, and put too much power into the spell." Remus placed his head in his hands. "I don't know how… but I suppose I never expected. I'd suspected Sirius for the traitor myself, ignoring the same things in Peter you both did, and I suppose those were the same things Sirius ignored as well." Remus moaned again, louder this time. "Merlin, James, Sirius is in Azkaban now. They gave him no trial; nobody listened to a word he said. I suppose everyone thought him unhinged; he was laughing when the Aurors arrived to take him in when Pettigrew confronted him. Laughing like a madman, as he always would when something in our pranks went horribly wrong. I –I can only blame grief for me overlooking everything we knew about each other. That is all I can blame."

James and Lily were both just staring at Remus. James' face was ashen. "Sirius… They threw him in Azkaban?" Lily was too stunned to point out how silly that sounded out loud, as she was having difficulty thinking past the ringing in her ears. The concept that slipped in, of Sirius being in that horrible prison of Azkaban, was not one that helped the ringing either. Slowly, the sound faded, but it took a few more minutes before she could think straight enough to understand that the conversation had moved on as James had kept talking.

"-James, you can't expect me to know how to do that. You'd never make it yourself, and I have no Animagus form. The only time I'd possibly be able to, I can't think straight. Does that sound useful to you?"

"Then we have to find someone who can! I'm not leaving him in there, and I really doubt we'd be believed as who we are in good enough time to get him out! And Merlin's drawers, _where is my son?"_ James shouted. Remus flinched back a moment, before whispering that he didn't know. Before James could explode again, Lily placed her hand on his arm.

"James, I'm sure we can figure this out, but can we please just take a minute to calm down, so we can think? Please?" Lily kept her voice calm, and James collapsed onto his chair after she finished.

"I just want my best friend out of the hell I put him into." He murmured. Moments after, Lily smacked him up the back of his head.

"Him going to Azkaban was all Peter's fault. You will do no good arguing the partial faults of yours and his that brought that about, thank you very much. It is also the minister's fault, and Crouch's fault, and all the idiots that let him go without a trial, it's their fault too. But until we have regained our own level of intelligence, it would be advisable to stop blaming ourselves." James looked up at her in mild wonder, and Remus chuckled.

"She has you there. And I believe I have some good butterbeer in my fridge for your pleasure, if you so desire." When James and Lily both nodded eagerly, Remus fetched it and handed a bottle to each of them. Gently, they gave a small cheer and fell to drinking, and joking, and seeking even mild relaxation for at least the moment.

As they began to wind down from the butter beer, and they'd each emptied their bottles, Lily placed hers on the table and fixed both Remus and James with her eyes.

"Gentlemen, I do believe I know how to locate Harry. And it will be really very simple. James, may I have temporary possession of your hand?"

Bewildered, James extended his arm to her, looking askance at Remus as he did so. Remus was as clueless as he was, though, and he just shrugged and watched Lily with interest as she pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and spread it on her lap. James idly let his hand rest on her lap, but when she sliced open the side of his thumb with a spell, he yelped and tried to pull back.

"Lily, what the Hell are you doing?"

Lily didn't release her grip on his arm. "Preparing the spell, fool. Hold still, I have to get your blood on this cloth." She wrapped the handkerchief over the cut, and James could see his blood rapidly staining a large spot on the white.

"Isn't that plenty, hon? It's hurts like hell."

"Almost." Lily seemed to be completely ignoring his discomfort. "There." Lily released his hand, idly casting a spell to heal the cut before she moved to cut into her own hand. She pressed the cloth to it until the fabric was soaked before she laid it on the coffee table with a murmured apology and healed her own cut.

James gave her a look with a raised eyebrow that needed no clarification. Remus' expression was quite similar.

"Now I just need to set up the incantation and we'll have our answer, boys. _'Ostendo mihi parvulus illae cruor. Ostendo sum suus locus.'_" Her words were spoken among silence as they watched, and moments after, the blood shone golden before fading back into white. Lily leaned over, watching intently as the cloth faded into a light blue. There were a few spots of white, where the blood hadn't gone, but there was plenty of space with which to view.

The light blue gradually faded into a view of a small, black haired child's face, his eyes shut tight as he seemed to be sleeping. Lily touched the edge of the scarf and the image rippled as though it were a bowl of water. A whispered spell expanded the image, pulling away from the face of the boy - of Harry- to show more of a tiny room. James eyed it warily.

"That looks... It reminds me of a closet. That's not a bedroom. What's he doing in a closet?" James spat.

Lily hushed him as light spilled across Harry's form, and James hissed between clenched teeth as he found small bruises on his son's arms, and a gaunt belly with his ribs in stark relief. There was no noise, but the small face pinched into a tight expression usually associated with crying. He was dragged out of the small room into light, and a bony, horse-faced woman picked him up none-too-gently to walk up the stairs above the cupboard he'd been sleeping in. Remus stood to force James to remain seated as he watched this, and Lily pulled her teeth out of her lip to spit out _'ostendo sum suus locus'_ once more, and the scene shifted to show a neat, white house with a manicured lawn, and a shiny number four in prominence on the mailbox. Once Lily saw the image, she immediately clapped her hands together over the image, and spat 'Finite!', and the image faded away into the dark shade of dried blood.

"Well." Lily said; her teeth bared in a parody of a smile. "Harry is with my sister. Number 4, Privet Dr, Little Whinging, Surrey. When will you boys be able to join me in the Inquisition?"

Remus started. "Your sister? Why would she - doesn't she- She hates you! That's all you'll ever say about her, but how could she transfer that to a child?"

"Imagine Voldemort's attitude towards muggles flipped into a hatred of magic, Remus." James drawled, his face and voice too casual to be normal.

Remus took a moment to look at his two friends, and he quickly reassessed their reactions. He'd thought them to be angry, and affronted at the treatment he'd seen of their child, but his had been a deep underestimate. James and Lily were furious. As quickly as Remus noted this, he came to accept it. It was their child that had been injured. Looking at Rhiannon, seated now on her father's lap, he found that he understood their reaction. Shock had suppressed his own reaction, but now as he evaluated it, he found a simmering rage barely suppressed in himself, fuelled by the werewolf within him, raging at a woman who mistreated a precious cub.

"If you need to go get Harry, I'll take Rhiannon to the nearest store and buy a few more supplies for them. We'll probably need them." Remus stated. James and Lily nodded briskly and stood up, James handing Rhiannon to Remus. Remus held out his hand to stall their leaving. "Please … if you must do something illegal, take care not to get caught."

James grinned widely. "That's why I led the Marauders, Remus, and why I'm such an excellent auror. I know how to cover my tail. Thanks for the sentiment though. We should be back shortly."

Remus smiled lightly. "You know where everything is in my house James, and you're welcome to use any of it. Except for my potions supplies;" Remus clarified at the considering expressions they both got as he said that. "You're not to try making any poisons or explosives." Each exclusion cleared their faces. James looked flouted, and annoyed; Lily just looked disappointed.

"I'd always hoped to poison my sister though." Lily complained. "Maybe Sirius had some. Pity his apartment got routed. I suppose I could do my own work though."

James smiled and grinned at Remus. "We'll be back in one piece with Harry soon enough. We'll be seeing you. Take good care of Rhiannon." James waved, and Remus waved back before they both apparated away.


	4. Chapter 3

Somewhere, But How?

Remus felt slightly bereft as he was left alone in his living room. He'd gotten his friends back, and it was amazingly exhilarating to know that three friends he'd thought gone forever, with one having apparently betrayed their brotherhood for power, were now back, and alive. True, the traitor was apparently now someone else, someone likely very dead, but losing Pettigrew really didn't hurt that much.

Remus flinched at that thought, recognizing it as one of the reasons Pettigrew had turned traitor, but he suppressed it quickly, shifting the once again sleeping bundle of Rhiannon from one arm to another. He turned his attention to gathering a bag for the shopping, and manoeuvring her into a comfortable position for carrying as he prepared for the trip out, distracting himself from the depressing thoughts of Peter and Sirius.

Once he got outside, he walked to the nearest market; ignoring the distance in favour of enjoying the exercise, and once he got down there, he was feeling much happier Rhiannon had woken into a complacent state of looking around curiously, but as more people began to show up, though, she quickly became a handful as she tried to keep watch on everything around her.

It was while he was trying to get her to calm down once more that he noticed two women watching him rather intently. One looked almost stricken as she merely stared, while the other seemed amused to see him struggling. They had two young children with them, both of whom were sleeping very soundly in baby buggies. The one who appeared older handed her buggy to the taller blonde and strode straight up to Remus. When Remus got a good look at her face he found himself taking a good step back before he stopped himself. She looked like a fierce hound, ready to take a bite out of him. Rhiannon was looking at her curiously, before she reached out for her, and crooned. The lady looked at her like she might a poisonous adder coiled to strike. Remus was about to apologize, when she spoke first.

"You're Remus Lupin. A werewolf, you were bitten when you were about six, and you were part of a group of friends called the Marauders. You were a Gryffindor at Hogwarts, and the girl belongs to your friends, the Potters. She probably showed up just last night, along with your old friends themselves. The same time as my two kids showed up." Her expression was changing now, even as Remus knew his own had shifted to stricken with shock. Rhiannon had, thankfully, chosen to lie back against his chest once more, sucking her thumb idly. The woman was now looking almost desperate, as though her world had been flipped upside down on her a bit ago, and it hadn't settled itself with her previous views. "My name is Louise Catar, and if my Sight is correct, and it hasn't been wrong yet, the father of my children is your good friend Sirius Black, who's been in the papers for weeks as a murderer. Would you please help me understand this, as I don't think I could ever have such a lapse of judgement as to bed the unstable man the papers depict."

Remus took a moment to calm his own breath as she watched him with the same intensity she'd had before, although it was now defined as someone who was grasping for understanding. The woman's friend came up to stand behind her, and was watching him with curiosity, even as she resettled the stirring young boy in his buggy. Finally, she just picked him up, and walked over. Ms. Catar jumped slightly as her friend laid her hand on her shoulder to draw her attention to the little girl in the other buggy. Ms. Catar quietly reached back to pull the girl out, and she focused herself on calming her. The taller, younger woman smiled at Remus, shifting the boy until she could stick her hand out in greeting.

"Hello, I'm Lyall Wolfgang. We both went to Durmstrang, and Louise is a tad bit desperate for answers at the moment. You seem to be out for some reason, how would you mind us coming along? Once we get back to your place, we can answer a few questions. I'm sure some extra hands would be appreciated for the little girl, hm?"

Remus blinked, and then smiled, shakily. "I'd appreciate that. Ms. Catar didn't seem the type to leave me alone anyways now that she's found someone to give her answers. You'll have to excuse me though; she's not the only person who just had their life flipped upside down."

Ms. Wolfgang smiled tightly. "I think yours may have been a little more pleasant than hers though. You haven't had to start rethinking the opinion of the general wizarding public's view of a man who doesn't seem to have any redeeming qualities from what everyone is saying. She's been rereading the papers for hours on end now, trying to find a redeeming trait."

Remus smiled. "You won't find that in public record, Sirius guarded himself well against those rabid creatures known as reporters."

Ms. Wolfgang snickered. "Smart man. And may I call you Remus? Mr. Lupin sounds plain stuffy, and, for that matter so does Ms. Catar. You may use our first names as well. I hate being called Ms. Wolfgang. I feel like I should start looking around for my mother or Mozart. And yes, I know it doesn't make sense to look for Mozart."

Remus nodded quickly, and Lyall tapped Louise's ankle with her toe. "Louise, lets go. Once we're back at Remus' house he's said he'll catch us up on your boyfriend." Lyall ducked Louise's swat at her head and then turned to place the young boy in his buggy, as Louise did the same, grumbling the whole time about boyfriends and murderers. Once they had everything together, they both followed Remus.

OOOOOOO

James and Lily were not in any mood to be polite as they apparated out, and they'd both aimed for Petunia's living room. They appeared beside the couches with hardly a sound, but no one was in their immediate vicinity. However, they could each hear a child wailing from upstairs, and Lily recognize her sister's voice as she screamed, apparently at the child.

"Would you just stop being such a freak? If you were only normal you'd have a place, but no! You have to be just like that freak of a sister I had, and that horrible man she married! Don't you keep crying; I'm not done with you yet! I won't be having you doing anything strange in my house, so –AH! _Look what you've done_!"

Lily didn't take even a moment to think about what her sister was saying; she just tore up the stairs with James a step behind her, his face livid enough to match hers. Once at the top of the stairs, Lily and James heard someone gasp down the hall, from what appeared to be the bathroom. Petunia stuck her horsy face out the door, and paled to a dead white as she saw her sister. Amusingly, Petunia's hair was a brilliant red shade, the same shade as Lily's, when it was normally blonde. However, James and Lily weren't in the mood to be amused. Both were fuming.

James recovered enough composure to speak first. "Petunia, where is my son?" His voice was a pained growl. Petunia twitched, mouthed the word 'impossible' and then shook her head. "He's in here, I was just changing the little … boy, when you two decided to just invite yourselves in. You don't have any manners, do you?" She snapped. Her outrage had overrun her shock as she came back onto ground she knew, rather than the impossible ground of the sister she'd been told was dead appearing in her house.

Lily growled, not even trying to speak normally, and she shouldered past her sister, into the room with her son. She stopped in the doorway. James was about to go to her, when she broke into a shriek. "JAMES! Get over here!" He jumped, and pushed to her side, and nearly lost control when he saw his son.

Seeing their child with his ribs in clear relief, and faint bruises marring his arms from being grabbed and dragged around roughly in a real situation simply let James and Lily's already strained nerves snap. Waking up from being dead in two worlds to find someone mistreating their child was not something they would stand for. James drew his wand before he even began to think, and cast a spell he'd learned quite well for pranks on Petunia before he moved in to care for his son. Lily was already crooning to him, cradling him in her arms warmly. James looked at the mess of a nappy his son had worn, and felt his anger grow once more. That had clearly not been changed for far too long; he wasn't surprised that his son was crying right then, nor was he surprised that his son had struck Petunia with accidental magic. Gently, James touched Lily's shoulder before he stepped back out into the hallway as his wife tended their child.

"Petunia …" James glared down at Petunia, who was presently squatting terrified on the floor, transfigured into a bulldog. "I'll let you know something Petunia. I am most unhappy with what you've done right now, and let me tell you, had what I heard only been the worst of your treatment, I'd leave you like this, with the spell one that would probably wear off eventually. But to see evidence that my son was dragged around, and ignored, and that you didn't care for him properly … I'm sorely tempted to kill you right now."

Petunia cowered as James spoke, terrified. As he threatened to kill her, she reacted as any terrified, submissive dog might, and widdled on her pristine white carpet. James merely watched her, his wand trained on her now much smaller form, and he didn't move until Lily came back out with Harry.

The sight of his son, small, undernourished, and clingy, pulled James' eyes to him alone, and he took a moment to touch him and reassure himself that he was with his child once more. Lily stared down at her sister with unadulterated hate in her eyes, and she smirked at how low her sister was now.

"Aw, Petunia couldn't keep herself in control? She had to go pee-pee on her carpet. Poor thing." Lily's voice was painfully acidic, and Petunia looked stricken as Lily mentioned her urinating on her carpet. She stepped back to look at the yellow stain, and she screamed as loudly as a dog could, horrified.

James turned as she did so, and he brandished his wand again, speaking a long incantation. When he finished, a pale yellow light settled over Petunia. When it disappeared, nothing seemed any different. She was still very definitely a scrawny Bulldog, with red splotches on her cream coat. She was also very bony and thin. Lily glanced at James curiously.

"Permanent transfiguration. It will take a lot of work to change her back. Actually," James cast another, shorter spell, and then grinned. "Now it will take just as much work to notice she's not supposed to be a dog."

Lily's grin was just as vindictive as his. "Perfect. Let her live as a miserable dog. She deserves no better, do you Petunia?" Lily fished her wand out of her pocket and conjured a cheap plastic flea collar with 'Petunia' marked on it in what seemed to be a child's writing, using a marker. Petunia looked horrified, but Lily handed Harry to James and summoned the dog back over to her so she could snap the collar on. It was much too loose, but it wouldn't slip over her head anytime soon. Lily stood up and smiled at her sister's horror. "Poetic justice. She'll be one odd dog though."

James snorted. "She deserves nothing better."

"What about her husband, and son? He's as bigoted as she is, and her son will need somewhere to go. I think he's still here." Lily commented.

"He's surprisingly quiet. I'd expect him to be a screamer."

"He is … He may be at daycare, or over at a friend's. Hey, Petunia." Lily crouched down to the level of the dog in front of her. Petunia flinched back, but Lily grabbed her collar. "Is … Dudley, I think is his name. Your kid, is he at a friend's?" Petunia nodded, frightened. "When should he be back?" James waved his wand over her head, and when Petunia made to bark in outrage, her voice issued out.

"How am -. AHH!" She screamed as she heard herself talking while still a dog. It was five minutes before Petunia subsided, and sullenly answered their questions.

It appeared James and Lily were in some luck at the moment. Vernon was definitely as bad as Petunia, but she was almost eager to say that Vernon and Dudley were mostly responsible for the bruises on Harry. Vernon had often hauled him about, and had almost thrown him into the closet when he didn't want to deal with him. Petunia had told him repeatedly not to, but he had yet to stop. Dudley, however, would make a point of poking and pinching his cousin. Vernon was coming home for lunch that day, to spend time with his wife, and Dudley was due home at noon, which was now quite near. For this, Lily wore a glamour to look like her cousin, and had forced her friend's name from her. When the doorbell rang, James made sure he was out of view, and that Petunia knew to not draw attention to herself. She'd been stripped of speech now, and she was horrified enough at being a dog that she hadn't needed much enforcement. Her only complaint had been to beg them not to hurt her son. They'd reassured her Dudley would come to no harm, and it had needed no cajoling for them to meet it. They could never hurt a child. But magic meant punishment didn't need to hurt …

"Mrs. Polkiss!" Lily greeted, hating the voice charm that made her sound like her horrid sister. "Thank you so much for taking Dudley, did he have fun with Piers?" Lily was horrified at how round her sister's son was, but she masked it easily as she made small talk with the neighbour. Fortunately, she already knew Vernon was coming home that afternoon for lunch, so she hadn't needed to tread around an excuse to send her away. In fact, Vernon arrived just as Mrs. Polkiss had asked, so it had been short work to send her off. However, Lily had had to let Vernon kiss her cheek as he came in. She immediately decided on his fate as he did so, and she stepped inside quickly, scrubbing her cheek viscously once she had shut the door, and darting into the living room.

"That was disgusting! Petunia, how you managed to pick such a horrible husband, I will never know!" Lily dropped the glamour and locked the door before she quickly conjured a handkerchief to wipe her face with. Vernon hadn't said a word since Lily had turned away and started talking, and Dudley had been put to sleep by James, along with the additional punishment on him once he was inside. Lily sat next to her husband, and let him hug her close as she looked back to watch Vernon try and comprehend what was going on. James' smile was not comforting him.

"Have a seat, Mr. Dursley. It's very nice to see my brother-in-law once more. I'd almost suggest that we should get together more often, but my opinion of you is in rather dangerous territory at the moment. However, my wife, Lily, already claimed punishing you for your callous treatment of our son as I got to deal with Petunia." James sat back, hugging Lily and Harry close as he finished, enjoying Vernon's horror-stricken face.

Lily looked distinctly predatory as she leaned into his arms. She didn't speak as she drew her wand and vanished his clothes, although she did flinch at the sight of him nude. She then grinned at his horror, and tossed a pillow at him. He caught it, and disappeared. Lily smiled in satisfaction, and leaned back, yawning.

James looked between where Vernon had previously been and his wife, surprised. "You didn't mention that!"

"Oh, didn't I? I had something better in mind, and my signature in everything is now gone. His worst punishment won't even need my intervention. We can go back to Remus' now, after we send a note to the authorities that there's a child alone in a house, and the parents are nowhere to be found."

"But what did you do? Where did you send him, and how can you be so sure of what's going to happen?"

Lily smiled at James, and he stepped back, unnerved at the ferocity. "Why, James, what do you think Lucius will do when a wizard-hating muggle is portkeyed naked into his front hall?"

It was James' turn to raise his eyebrows. "Oh." He returned to his grin in moments, and bowed to Lily. "I concede the greatest punishment to you, Lils. You have outfoxed me."

"That's darn right James! Now, the nasty boy-child … can't hurt a kid." Lily murmured.

"Oh, that was simple. 'Duddikins' here, can no longer stomach sugar or fat in high quantities. Not quite sure how the muggles will see that, but he'll miss his favourite foods, and he might just get healthy. But he'll probably be miserable for a good while. Good enough?" James answered. "He'll also sleep with no ill effects until someone finds him. I'm not going to have a kid die because no one can get anywhere in proper time."

Lily touched James' arm and smiled into his face, real gratitude in her eyes and the most pleasant expression she'd worn all morning. "That's wonderful James, and I'm very glad you did that."

James merely smiled back, uncomfortable. "Yeah, well, he's the same age as Harry. As miserable as he seems now, he's not grown up yet, and you met his role model. At this age, you can't run out of a chances to improve." James quickly conjured a letter with a set print, sending it to the muggle police saying that 'a concerned citizen' worried that Number four Privet drive was abandoned, and that the parents weren't around and the child was alone in the house. James simply left the dog out, and that Karma would do with her what it would. He sent it, and Lily hugged him before they both apparated back to Remus' house, just outside his front door.

Once they arrived, the first sound that greeted them was a child screaming. Multiple children actually, screaming happily to what must have been the amusement of multiple adults judging by the laughter. James and Lily paused to look at each other, before James shrugged and knocked on the door. Remus answered it, laughing madly. It took him a short time to calm himself enough to speak.

"James, Lily, my apologies. When I went down to the town to get the items, I ran into two young women, who had two children of their own. The mother of those children immediately got into my face about them, as the kids had showed up rather unexpectedly. Much in the manner Rhiannon did. Rhiannon also apparently recognized her, and well …" Remus glanced back inside, and his grin twisted with amusement. "They weren't exactly going to let me leave the town without them either. Come on in, I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you." Remus then noticed Harry in James' arms, and he gasped. "What the Hell did they do to him? Harry!"

Harry looked up at Remus and smiled, reaching for him. James smiled, and handed him over before he moved inside, followed by Lily.

"He's a little delicate, Remus, as Lily's sister Petunia felt he didn't deserve proper attention. He's been neglected, and her husband felt that the child of 'freaks' didn't have any feelings, so he was apparently rather rough with him, not to mention their bully of a child, Dudley. He should heal pretty quickly." James answered, as they moved into the living room.

Once inside, James felt his head swim as he looked at the children on the floor. The scene shifted to a home he connected with the small blonde woman, with the three kids all roughhousing much as they were now. Once his eyes cleared, Lily was holding his arm as he leaned against the doorframe, and the small blonde he felt he recognized was eyeing them with apprehension.

"James, are you okay?" Lily asked. She brought him around until she was looking him in the eyes.

"I'm fine, Lily. I just … zoned." James wasn't quite sure what to say about the visions he was having, but he certainly didn't want to worry Lily. They had enough to worry about.

"Hmph." The short, blonde leaned back in her chair, still taut as a piano wire, but slightly more calm. "Well, if I'm not the only person seeing things, I guess I have less to worry about. James Potter? Auror of high renown; considered Sirius Black a brother, and a stag Animagus nicknamed Prongs. Your children are Harry James and Rhiannon Maltese, your wife is Lily Marie Evans, who's that pretty redhead muggleborn on your arm, and you recently transfigured Petunia Dursley into a bulldog."

James blinked at her, and scowled. "You're Louise Catar. Your kids are Kieran Dirk, and Cassiopeia Lily, a name chosen by Sirius, and you went to Durmstrang and own a large manor a few kilometres to the other side of town. It has extremely high security as you are widely known as a skilled seer. But somehow I don't think you're too surprised I know this, as I just happen to remember something from what appears to be a timeline that differs from ours only slightly."

Lily was eyeing him worriedly now, as were Remus and the second woman, one he didn't know.

Louise was slightly surprised he knew as much as he did; he didn't appear to have the Sight, but somehow she wasn't sure whether she'd have preferred that he have it rather than what he apparently had to allow him that knowledge. Finally she blinked and scowled.

"Well, can you tell me the biggest question I have on my mind right now?" Louise snapped.

James chuckled. "Doesn't take a Seer to figure that out. If your kids are Sirius Black's, but you don't remember ever knowing him well enough to think he's worth it, and with the papers dragging his name through the mud with apparent reason, I think you're wondering just how you either had such a lapse in judgement, or how he's innocent." James watched her suppress a surge of emotion, and grinned. "Sirius is innocent. He suggested we make a bluff with a different friend being made the actual secret-keeper while he take the attention. He also suggested that we keep it quiet. Pettigrew was the secret-keeper, and he most likely framed Sirius for the murder of himself, those muggles, and us. Sirius would never have been so clumsy as to kill others aside from Pettigrew. Sirius is innocent of all charges, Louise. You have excellent judgement, which has not lapsed." James' reassurance left Louise wearing a rapidly cracking mask. He wore a serious face as he delivered the last lines, and let it settle in. He then quirked a small grin. "And, if you are indeed so similar as to what crossed over, I believe you have connections which may be very useful to us. We need to break into Azkaban and get Sirius back out, as I greatly doubt they'll trust us, particularly after what we just pulled."

Louise darted her glance over to James as he finished. "And what makes you think I have connections who would even consider breaking into Azkaban?"

"Well, the lady I remember had excellent connections with the Hodges', who know many people who would love such a challenge."

Louise scowled thoughtfully at James. Lyall was eyeing him as well, and Remus and Lily were wondering where on earth he'd pulled all this information from. Louise finally smirked.

"May I borrow an owl, then? If any of you have one." Her question was greeted with most of them shaking their heads. She glowered. "Gee, fun. You're all well equipped."

James snorted. "Sirius was the one to own an owl. I hadn't wanted a familiar, and Lily had a cat."

Louise rolled her eyes. "Then may I use your floo? I trust my friend to be discrete with your secrets, so if I may mention you people he might just get curious enough to risk it.

Lily was nervous, but James calmed her with his hand on her arm. "I'm sure he wouldn't want to break someone undeserving out of Azkaban, so naturally he'll need a good answer. I'm sure it would be fine. Lily, any objections?"

"If it gets Sirius out of that Hell, I'd agree to just about anything. And I want to talk to you, James." Lily scolded.

James nodded mildly, and Remus showed Louise to the floo, pausing only to tell James and Lily that they could use his guest room if they desired to converse. Lyall stood before they left, approaching them cautiously.

"I'd noticed we were never introduced; my name is Lyall Wolfgang. If you don't mind, I can watch Harry for you while you speak. Then, Lily, you won't need to hold back any while scolding you. Remus should be back in soon, and I'm watching the rest of the kids anyways. I'm sure he'll be good; I've always had a hand with kids."

Lily eyed James a moment, before gently transferring Harry to Lyall. "Thank you; we'll have to talk sometime, but first I do need to give James a good talking to. Thank you very much."

"We'll be just down here, with Rhiannon and the others." Lyall assured her, and she returned to the couch as Lily pulled James upstairs.

Once Lily had closeted James into the room, she placed a few privacy charms, and rounded on him.

"James, how did you know all that about her? You can't even read tealeaves, and you think divination is a bunch of lies! You don't have anything even remotely resembling the Sight, and you just knew about her house, her kids, and her school! How did you know?"

James sat on the guest bed, resting his head in his hands. "I don't know. I'm fairly sure it's from … wherever we got our lives back from, and where we got Rhiannon, and she got her children. She mentioned she hadn't had them before, and I'd have known if Sirius had had a steady girlfriend. He wouldn't have been anywhere near as willing to risk his life if he'd had kids, especially ones that young."

"I know, James, that's definitely self-evident. Sirius would've named you godfather of his children." Lily's eyes glinted slightly. "I'd have gladly been godmother, for sure. This would also mean that if Louise is Sirius' sweet, that Harry basically has a godmother now. She seems very nice."

"She does." James agreed. He eyed Lily with amusement. "You seem satisfied with a very vague answer for your first question."

Lily snorted. "You're a terrible liar, James. You were being as honest as you could be."

"Thanks." James drawled. "I'm so flattered at your confidence in me."

Lily gently cuffed the side of his face and sat down in his lap. "I do have confidence in you. But there are certain times when I want to double-check. You're an excellent prankster, so you can lie like a rug in regards to those, but when you're trying to keep something important from me, you're terrible. You get very nervous then."

James snickered. "Good to know I'm like a book to you. Is this the end of the lecture, or do you have something else in mind?"

Lily cuffed him again and stood up. "Now is not the time James. I want to be reunited with our children –with Harry, and Rhiannon. I don't know if they'll know each other or not, but propriety says we introduce them. And we never did get the names of the other two children, Louise's twins. Properly at least, you apparently already knew them."

Lily was now looking thoughtful, and James stood to walk behind her. Instead of hugging her, though, he instead began to tickle her mercilessly.

"James! Hah hah ha, hee! Stop it, James! Stop! Hah hah hah, this is unfair!" Lily finally twisted herself around in his arms, and began to tickle back, until they both overbalanced and fell to the bed.

"Well Lily, we're in bed now." James leered, looking her up and down.

Lily pushed him off her, rolling him off the edge of the bed. "James, we can do that later. Not now. We need to go talk to the lady you sent off in search of something; I don't know what yet and I'd like to."

James rolled his eyes and got up, pulling Lily into a kiss for long moments. Finally, when they stopped, James smirked, pecked her on the cheek and led her back downstairs. As they came to the door, James pulled her close and whispered in her ear "You owe me time tonight, though." Lily rolled her eyes and tickled him.

"I was about to say the same, dearest."

As they came into the room, Lily and James both stopped, staring at the two new strangers in the living room, who were sitting and chatting with Remus, Louise and Lyall. Both had black hair, the man's short and curly on his head, and the woman long and straight, reaching her waist. The man had Harry and Rhiannon both happily sitting on his knee and being bounced, and the woman held another child, a girl of about three or four with bushy black ringlets. The two of them were happily chatting with Louise and Lyall, with Remus adding in a comment or two. Lily was amused to note that while the two newcomers had the long couch, and Louise had claimed the rocking chair, Remus and Lyall had been left with his loveseat, and they were both quite comfortable on it, with Louise's twins using both of their laps for a nap.

As James and Lily came into the room, conversation stopped as the attention moved to the two of them. Louise popped to her feet, and stepped forward.

"Howard, Maxene, these are James and Lily Potter. James is the one who insinuated he was aware of our acquaintance, and although I am still not sure how he knew about it, I believe he has a worthwhile request. James, Lily, these are Howard and Maxene Hodges, and their daughter, Gwen. And as I believe my initial introduction was less than adequate in light of your assessment, I am Louise Catar, and my children are Kieran and Cassiopeia." Louise wasted little time after her impromptu introduction before quietly sitting down.

Howard and Maxene had smiled at the introductions, and nodded their heads, as they couldn't have gotten up without disturbing the children. Rhiannon had apparently gone back to sleep once more on his lap, but Harry was still awake, although he looked quite ready for a nap himself now that the bouncing had stopped. James came in first and sat down on the last available piece of furniture, the armchair, and then smiled at Lily. Lily smiled back, but remained standing.

"I believe we have something rather oppressive to discuss. Remus, do you not have a guest room you were preparing for the children, as they grew older? I believe it would be easy to conjure some beds for the children to nap in while we discuss our business, as I believe they would not be best suited to remain while we talk."

Remus flinched. "My apologies, Lily, but the room has been recently filled with some rescued items. I was the only person for any of your personal effects to go to, so there's no more room."

Lily scowled, and made to apologize. However, Howard spoke first.

"My apologies for presuming to interrupt, but if none of you are averse to the suggestion, my wife and I have a large, secure home with plentiful room for the children and ourselves where we may hold this discussion. I understand you and your husband may be cautious of new people and situations at the moment, as you have recently been under much … confusion, but I extend my assurances that my wife and I can be most discrete with your affairs. If you desire not to, we will understand, but the invitation is there."

Lily glanced over to James, who was looking at the Hodges intently. Louise was shifting nervously, but Lyall was completely relaxed. Remus simply seemed slightly lost. Finally, Lily nodded to James, who took his own time before standing.

"I would like two questions answered first, so as to understand if our conversation has any point. Would you be willing to take our word for a man's innocence?" James stated.

Howard eyed him calmly, withholding all emotion from his face. Finally, he leaned back into the couch, his posture completely relaxed, and completely alert, ready for anything. "It would depend on how well you knew the man. A brother; a best friend; an acquaintance …"

"I considered him a brother, and I trusted him like one."

"Then yes." Howard's answer was short, but imbued with honesty. "You're next question?"

"Would you be willing to tackle Azkaban?"

Howard fell dead silent, no longer holding onto a false look of comfort. His eyes pierced James like daggers, and his face was a study of concentration. "That … is a very worthy question." His expression faded into contemplation for a time, until Maxene sighed and jabbed him with her elbow. She gathered up her daughter in her arms, shot her husband an amused glance, and looked at James with a bright smile.

"You got him completely distracted. That means it's a definite yes. If you chose not to come with us, he'll probably have someone break in anyways to kill a few Death Eaters just to prove it can be done. Now, getting someone out alive … that's something even more complicated. Almost as bad as trying to prove innocence to someone on a witch-hunt. Would you like to come along then? Gather your kids, I'd love the company, and give my husband his space. He's going to be very distracted for a good while, and then you can start working out details once he gets his head back out of that cloud."

James blinked, and eyed Maxene strangely as the others each went to pick up a child, Lily to Harry, Remus to Rhiannon, Lyall to Kieran, and Louise to Cassiopeia. Finally, he got his mouth working again.

"You'll work on this? You believe me? I was dead not two days ago, and already you're working to help me." James demanded, before he bit down on his tongue.

Maxene's only response was to raise her eyebrow. "You'll have to explain the 'dead' part there sometime, but the first parts are all we're interested in." James was still frustrated, and she turned to look him over. He fidgeted, and when she finished, she was smiling oddly. "You hadn't a clue what you were getting into when you asked Louise about us, did you? You were simply looking for some card you hadn't seen yet that might offer a better answer, weren't you?" James flushed, but she cut him off before he could protest. "Well, dear, you got us. We'll work at anything, and the more impossible it seems, the more we'll try and find a way. You don't dare a Hodges to try and have them back down. They'll work long and hard, and then they'll try everything half myth and legend that they can pull off if conventional doesn't work out. You asked for our help, and Azkaban is supposed to be impossible to breach. You asked us to do the impossible, and now we're sure as hell going to try."

James, and most everyone else in the room were speechless. Howard had finally stood up, and though he still seemed half-dazed, he quietly asked Remus for where the floo fireplace was, before strolling into the room and flooing away with hardly a word. The others followed him into the room, most looking at Maxene in surprise. She finally raised an eyebrow at the all, with a scolding expression for their staring. They each subsided, and she took on a lecturing tone as she continued.

"The floo address is unlisted, so you'd have to get it from me or my husband first, although it's not fidelius. We're under the address '_occidionis'_, and please don't say that with a wand in your hand. It's been that address for years, so I don't know where it began. Now, James, would you be so kind as to take Gwen with you. My sister-in-law should be there, her name is Barbara, and she looks much like Gwen. I will stay here to make certain you each get through safely. And watch that you get off at the right stop. '_Occidionis'_ mind."

James took Gwen from Maxene, and stepped up to Remus' fireplace, grabbing the floo powder off the mantelpiece and tossing it in. With a carefully enunciated '_Occidionis'_, he was spinning away to the Hodges' manor.


	5. Chapter 4

Somewhere, But How?

4

He arrived in a grand chamber, with a plethora of chairs placed in a rough circle, and only three of those chairs filled, each of the ones closest to the fireplace. James stepped out of the fire with Gwen in his arms, and glanced at each face. The three were remarkably similar, and James recognized Howard's face easily, as he sat loosely on the armchair, staring into space still as he murmured to himself. There was another man present, apparently younger than Howard who was similar enough to be his brother, and he waved jauntily as James walked slightly forward, but it was the woman who walked over to greet him, holding out her hands to the girl who responded by squirming to face her and crying out happily for 'aunt Barb!' Noting James' hesitation, she paused a respectable distance away and suggested a curtsey.

"I greet you, pureblood cousin Potter. I am Barbara Hodges. Welcome to our manor."

The form was old, but James recognized it as a structured greeting. Barbara again reached for Gwen and James gladly handed her over as Lily came through the fire with Harry. Pausing to help Lily keep her balance and clean off the ash, he pulled her over to his side and sketched a bow in return to Barb.

"I greet you, pureblood cousin Hodges. I am James Potter, and this is my wife, Lily Evans Potter. We thank you for your welcome." James was now rather grateful that his parents had been so old-fashioned as to insist on formal tutors in the old structured interactions. "May I introduce my heir, Harry James." He gently waved towards Harry and smiled as Barb did.

"He is a gorgeous child."

Louise was the next to floo through, her daughter clutched in her arms, and she hastily straightened her glasses as she stepped out. Lily passed Harry to James, to go help her clean up with her armful of child, leaving James with Barb and Gwen.

"It is fascinating to see the changes when someone is called to answer a formal greeting."

James almost jumped when he heard her speak, trying to remember if this was formal or not. Her eyes twitched, and they glittered with mirth as she watched him.

"You do not need to remember some formula for speech now. I just speak with politeness that most disdain now. Your son seems ill-favoured at the moment, were you just under some hardship?"

James sighed. "Yes. My wife and I were … indisposed for a time, and our son passed into the care of his only relative: my wife's muggle sister. However, her sister was not fond of the magical culture for jealousy, and her husband had no understanding for our manner, and they disliked our child for his family and lineage, and neglected him for the time he was in their care. We only recently came to be able to reclaim him once more, and he has yet to have time to recover."

Barbara sighed. "That is indeed ill-favour. If you have yet to do anything, I would desire to know where to find these ill-meaning scoundrels, for I will not have such lack of behaviour towards my brethren."

"They are regretting their behaviour. If everything went well, Malfoy as well will be regretting his own, and I may owe him a favour if he responded as I suspect he did."

Barbara raised her eyebrow. "You are a Marauder, are you not?" At James surprised glance she smiled. "I hear much of the world, and many rumours flow of a group of youths who plagued Hogwarts with pranks. I am not sure who I should feel more sorry for, Malfoy for being used in one of your schemes, or the poor sufferer. If it was indeed a muggle of such little tolerance, I fear Malfoy may have used some suspect spells to shut him up, and you may indeed be vindicated as you desire. I can not conceive of Malfoy not reacting in a manner that would vindicate you as desired …"

Barbara paused a moment, and James took that to mutter, only half to himself "That, and a fat, naked muggle would make anyone scream." Barbara laughed as she heard it.

"That would definitely be so. I will have to inquire as to the fate of this most unfortunate victim of your ire. Punishment to both Malfoy and such a despicable man; pure genius. I shall have to inquire as to your opinion as we plot some things. You seem most intelligent."

James flushed. "I wasn't alone in most of the exploits you would have heard of as a Marauder, and it was Lily who came up with the 'package for Malfoy' part."

Barbara laughed once more, shaking her head. "Then I'll have to speak to the whole of the group that is available. Now, your friends are here. I shall see if I can get Howard to speak of what has him in its grip now, and I will send him in once he's speaking. I hope to see you again, cousin Potter." Barbara sketched another curtsey and held it.

James sketched a bow back quickly as he finished the phrase. "I also do hope to see you again, cousin Hodges."

At that, Barbara stood and, smiling, she turned to the rest of the group. "I do see an intent of business about you, cousins. If you would trust me with your progeny, me and mine would care for your children in our manor's room made for such little hands and feet. We have companions who may wish to meet others, and there will be intent supervision. If you would trust us, me and our house elves would take your little ones at your convenience."

James met Lily's eyes, and at Lily's small nod, he turned to Barbara again. "We would be most grateful, cousin, if you would be so kind as to care for our children for the duration of our business. I trust you to take utmost care."

"Of course." Barbara reassured him, and she herself took Harry from his arms, after she had set Gwen down so she could walk while holding to Barb's robes. Three small elves came to take the sleeping Cassi, Kieran and Rhiannon, and Maxene led the rest of the adults from the room. The brother James had not met got up to follow them, and as they came to gathering of chairs with enough for each of them, they all sat down, Maxene next to the stranger, followed by Remus and Lyall again sharing a loveseat, and James and Lily in matching wooden chairs that were more comfortable than they appeared. Louise was once more in a rocking chair, and she did not appear pleased. Their hosts, however, ignored her manner in favour of greeting the newcomers.

"So as to clear up any lingering questions, please correct if I identify you wrongly. Amos Hodges," The brother James had seen before smiled. He sketched a bow at the introduction, and Maxene moved on. "I am Maxene Harlem Hodges, as you know. Lyall Wolfgang, Remus Lupin, James Potter, and Lily Evans Potter, and Louise Catar. I believe your children are Blacks, Louise?" Maxene indicated each of them as she named them, and Amos quietly bowed to each of them, smiling brightly. Louise twitched as Maxene asked about her children, and Amos raised his brows.

Louise gritted her teeth before speaking. "I am under the impression that they are indeed the children of Sirius Black. Fortunately, Mr. Potter here reassures me his friend is innocent, and I am inclined to believe him. Now I have to deal with the knowledge that our government is full of Jack-asses."

Amos laughed. "Louise, when did you ever think otherwise? Fudge has been sweating ever since someone figured out about his balancing act with some of that money, and his affair with his secretary."

"At least those are expected. I dislike someone I am now connected to being wrongly imprisoned in Hell on earth."

"Ah, so that's why you're asking. That's one hell of a can of worms you're offering, and I'm fascinated." Most of the company jumped slightly, as Howard strolled over, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "And Sirius Black? He'll be locked up tight. It'll be a hell of a job getting him out of Azkaban without him getting kissed."

James scowled lightly, as Maxene and Amos eyed him with concern and respect each.

"Sirius Black's only trespass against the law is being an illegal Animagus. He's a black dog; he looks like a Grim. I think it might help, as he's smaller as a dog. He's also not recognizably human either." James answered.

Howard paused, and flopped into an armchair next to his brother. He brought his hand up to rub it over his hair. "Animagi … That would make the effort much simpler, indeed. Smaller, able to fit through the guarding bars … Amos, don't the wards go only eighty feet out from the building?"  
Amos blinked at being addressed, and summoned a house-elf, who disappeared and reappeared in moments, with a file in hand. Amos flicked through it, glanced over a paper and nodded. "Yeah, but that's thirty feet into the ocean, and the water is sub-zero almost all the time."

"That can be worked around. I have some ways in mind, and they're easy to pull off to boot. James, would your friend trust a stranger coming in to fetch him?"

James blinked rapidly, and stared. He'd never expected this to happen so quickly. After his confusing resurrection, he'd expected to have to fight to talk people into believing him. He almost considered going to the ministry, but they'd use truth serum, and he could get in a lot of trouble if they asked the wrong questions first. His treatment of Petunia, if proven, could send him into a cell next to Sirius' if it came out, and he wasn't going to trust the minister to believe him on any 'extenuating circumstances'. Shaking his head, he moved back to the conversation.

"Pardon, could you repeat that question?" James asked, sheepishly.

Howard smirked. "Not expecting the enthusiasm? You forget who you're talking to." Howard waited for James to shut his mouth again. "I asked how Sirius would react to a stranger coming into his cell to fetch him. Would he take him at his word, or what?"

James exhaled loudly. "Sirius … would probably need a note from someone he trusted to get him to try and follow a stranger out. He … I don't think he'll be reacting well to the Dementors, so I don't think he'll be thinking straight either."

Howard tapped his lip with his finger. "So, a note tied to a collar, spelled waterproof, with a signature in blood, maybe, swearing that the words are truth, or just a note from Remus here." Remus twitched at being addressed, but relaxed as he moved on. "And he may need to be dragged along if he's in a raving state. We can fix that once we have him, so for the time being … Well, everything seems to be in some form of order. I might as well ask for my helpers, as if they can't do it it'll be useless anyways and we'll have to come up with something else."

James paused once more. Lily, noting his shock, patted his arm and answered.

"Well, if that is all you need us for, we can return to Remus' home and come again tomorrow."

Maxene waved her comment off. "Nonsense, Lily. If you don't mind me calling you that," Lily smiled and shook her head. "Well, Lily, you and your friends are all welcome to stay the night. We have rooms with nurseries off to the side, so you can have your privacy, and an alarm will alert you if either child wakes. We have plenty of rooms, as you may have noticed, and besides that it would be lovely to have company for dinner. We extend an invitation for you to stay, if you so desire."

James leaned back into the chair, smiling gaily. Remus watched him curiously as Louise accepted readily for herself and Lyall, for both the meal and the rooms. Lyall leaned over to Remus as James and Lily began to discuss, sighing in contentment.

"They have excellent meals here, and their house elves know how to cook meat properly. They are _exacting_ cooks. I'd give just about anything for a house elf. Then I wouldn't keep burning my meat, when I want it rare. They can also get good meat for a 'blue' roast too."

Remus eyed her oddly. "Blue?"

"Whoops," Lyall giggled. Remus had never thought she'd make that noise. "It's basically, you just sear it on both sides in the grill for only a few moments or less. Extra bloody. Good for when the full moon's coming up and you can't imagine sinking your teeth into anything else."

Remus felt his jaw drop, and his conversation lapsed enough that he heard James and Lily accept the invitation for the whole evening. Howard and the others looked over to Remus, but he hadn't managed to gather himself yet. Instead of answering the previous question, he barely managed to squeak out "You're a _werewolf_?" before he remembered himself and blushed crimson. He'd have begun to stammer apologies, except that Louise and Amos burst out laughing, and Lyall was smiling indulgently at him.

"Yes, Remus, I am a werewolf. I thought you would have noticed as I had … although you may not have been as exposed to the werewolf culture as I was. I suppose you may not have known, but yes, Remus, I am a werewolf." Remus was still staring at her in shock. Finally, she tired of his inaction and leaned forward to peck him on the lips. Remus jolted back, flushing crimson. James started laughing again.

"I'll warn you, Lyall, Remus hasn't had much in the way of dates."

Lyall eyed Remus, considering. "I'll have to fix that, but for the moment … Howard, old boy, can we take you up on the offer of a room for the moment? If nothing else, I'm going to have to talk to him for a while." Howard could only nod his head; had he tried to speak he'd have pulled something laughing. Remus had yet to recover from his shock, so when Lyall grabbed his hand and pulled him up he didn't fight. He waved mechanically at James and Lily as Lyall stopped a house elf, before she dragged him out of the room and up the stairs. James and Louise were both snickering like mad.

"I think she likes him." James observed. Louise snorted.

"She more than likes him, Jamie, I think she's infatuated. He is mighty cute. I'm glad Sirius is even cuter. It would have been horrible had Peter really been the good guy. I mean, seriously, he has nothing in the way of looks."

James and Lily snorted, as did most of their hosts. Finally, a house elf popped into the space by the edge of the couches to show each of them off to the dining hall for a mixed supper and lunch, as many of them had skipped the middle meal of the day.

Two hours later, the meal was finished, and had been most resplendent, and Howard had already sent a floo call to his 'partners-in-crime'. Lyall and Remus had yet to be seen again that evening, and Louise had found her way upstairs, discussing potion theory with Amos on her way to her room. James and Lily were talking in one of the sitting rooms, and considering their own beds when Howard strolled in, a grin plastered across his face, and two teenagers following him, a boy and a girl who looked barely fifteen.

"James, Lily, here are my compatriots of activity: American students from Salem, Velorian Mayfair and Tara Kent." Howard began. "They're both excellent at being discrete and efficient. Velorian happens to be a Boarhound as an Animagus, and Tara has more skill with a wand than I've seen in ages. Velorian will just have to roll in some mud, though, as he's got white in his coat. I thought it best to act fast, and in the early morning hours before the sun rises, and since they could come, why not tonight?"

"Okay, wait, Mr. Hodges, you haven't even told us what's happening yet." The blonde boy interrupted.

"I'm introducing you to the inspiration for my ingenious scheme, and the friends of the person you're fetching." Howard answered. His grin seemed permanently etched on his face. "Sit, sit, both of you. Lets get the introductions and any questions you have out of the way, these nice people can go to their beds, and then we can thrash out any issues with the way we have this set up."

The two teenagers grumbled slightly, but the girl perched shortly on one of the wooden chairs and the boy threw himself into an overstuffed armchair. He looked James and Lily up and down and he furrowed his brow, apparently confused. The girl was similarly eyeing them, and apparently reaching the same fault in reasoning, as she pursed her lips and looked to Howard with a raised eyebrow.

"If you're testing our memory of faces, you can drop the glamours on your friends now. We can see they look exactly like James and Lily Potter, and it's not exactly cool to keep the charade up." The girl stated this plainly; as though she wasn't surprised he was pulling the wool over their eyes like this. Howard began to chuckle, and the boy almost seemed angry. He sketched a mark in the air with his hand, and scowled at it as well, before addressing his companion.

"Tara, I can't see any specific magics. There seems to be a faint glow around them, but it is most definitely not a glamour charm. It's too weak, and too universal. It's … I might attribute it to them even being reconstituted or something like that. Maybe they're golems of some sort? But that would take more magic than I can see, _far_ more …" The boy sounded upset, as though he couldn't understand how he was being foiled. Tara turned from addressing Howard to sketch a similar rune in the air and scowl at it, before following that with a series of runes, each making her face sourer.

Howard chuckled. "I'm not trying to pull any wool over your eyes, and I probably should have glamoured them before bringing you over to see if you'd catch it, but you are indeed looking at Lily and James Potter."

Tara looked at him and scoffed, clearly insulted, and Velorian's thoughtful scowl deepened, and he leaned back, tapping his chin with his wand. "Tara, which teacher spoke of alternate dimensions?"

Tara didn't even look at him as she snapped "Cystenian, Velorian, and he didn't say anything about people coming back to life in that lecture."

Velorian shook his head. "We've never had a discussion regarding anyone truly coming back to life Tara, as it's never happened, but this is magic. Maybe it was sacrificial or something; that's a very powerful, and highly untested branch. Howard wouldn't be lying to us if he could avoid it. Besides, he'd be saying something we'd be less able to pick apart. This –" his gesture included both Lily and James, "Is just preposterous. It's insane, it's unbelievable, and there's no way it could happen with a reasonable explanation. Get your head on, use your reason, and accept the fact that some things happen for _no_ _good_ reason when your discussing something outside of definition as it is."

Tara slouched back into her chair for a moment before pulling herself upright once more, and she glared at Velorian. "I'm sacrificing your hide if you get us in trouble."

Velorian merely smiled back, as did Howard, who then clapped his hands and spoke.

"And as for what you're pulling off, you two have the good fortune of getting to break into Azkaban."

Both teenagers turned and eyed him, surprised.

Tara spoke first. "Where did you check your brain this evening, Mr. Hodges? You seem to be spouting one load of bull after another. There's only so much impossible you can throw at someone before they stop listening, and this is pushing it."

Velorian nodded. "Next thing he'll say is that we're rescuing Sirius Black because he's innocent. Although, if it's truly James and Lily over there, they'd know if he was innocent or not, so … if any one part is true, then I suppose it all is." As Howard was now grinning manically, Velorian heaved a large sigh. "I hate it when I'm right. Tara, you might want to start swallowing your objections. It's times like these when I feel like a muggleborn. I never know what magic will throw at me next."

"Well," Howard's grin stretched across his whole face now, and James and Lily were both stunned. "Since you two have figured out your whole assignment, what do you think of it? Are you willing to help us break an innocent out of Azkaban?"

James expected Velorian to roll his eyes and agree, much as he would have when offered this in school. However, he ended up surprised.

Tara turned to look at Velorian, and shrugged, but Velorian was now eyeing James and Lily again, his face considering. Tara smiled, and leaned back in her chair.

Velorian sat up straight, before turning and addressing Howard, looking far more serious than he had all night.

"I want proof."

Howard's eyes went up, and James snorted, attracting all eyes. Velorian's gaze, now as calculating as James had ever seen McGonagall look, bore into him until he spoke up.

"You didn't seem to want proof before. You were the one telling Tara to accept magic as insane, and unstable with no definition."

Velorian responded sharply, and James flinched before he scolded himself for reacting like that to a teenager. No matter how much the teen sounded like the sternest teacher he'd ever met.

"That was before I was told I'm to rescue someone who seems to have all evidence pointing to his guilt. I will not take part in releasing a madman on the world until I have reasonable doubt about him being who he has been painted for the last two weeks. If you cannot provide that doubt, you can break him out yourself."

James' eyebrows shot into his hairline, followed shortly by Lily's. It was Lily who spoke next.

"That's … very responsible of you."

Velorian snorted and snickered. "It's about as responsible as I get. A sane person would be scoffing at the mere idea of considering any form of offensive against Azkaban, even if it were just the wormhole we're aiming for. And I'm still waiting for that reasonable doubt."

James took up the lead now. "Sirius was not our secret-keeper. Peter Pettigrew was, and he was the traitor."

Velorian sat back, rubbing his chin and looking surprised. "Good argument. Very good argument. If he isn't a Death Eater, which I'm honestly surprised they could think he was one without saying anything about him having the Dark Mark, then there's reasonable doubt on him killing those muggles maliciously. Why would he have …"?

James broke into Velorian murmurings, answering, "He would have gone after Peter, but I don't think he'd have used such a violent spell against him. I can't see Sirius killing others just to get at one person."

Velorian nodded. "I think you'd know him best - although we're still not solid on you being who you say you are – Sirius, he may not have been the one to use the curse. Had Pettigrew shrunken himself, all the pipes below the street were exposed. Cutting off a finger can be done while you are alive, and it would have left some 'evidence' of death."

"Pettigrew is a rat Animagus." Lily supplied.

Velorian paused, now tapping at his chin with his wand. "That … makes perfect sense. Peter was afraid of facing the music, so he faked his death by blowing up the street and cutting off his finger to lay the blame on the man everyone thought was the traitor, and he scurried off to live a life as a rat. Not too glamorous, but it's life." Velorian paused again, and laid his hands across his lap, fixing James and Lily with a hard eye. "But you could just be laying blame. Laying a false trail, and you may not be who you say you are. If you're not …"

"And how might you be able to know if we truly are who we claim? You never knew us before, you have nothing to compare your suspicions to, and you simply can't know!" James snapped.

Velorian raised his eyebrows once more. "I have multiple vials of identity potion. A hair dropped in each, shaken, and poured on a paper will turn to ink, and provide an image of the person, with their full name and any special magics they've developed in themselves, such as Animagi. Not in a single paper are your full names stated, so, as shaky as this is, it'll give me something solid to hold to. Tell me your full names, and give me a hair. Let me use this, and then I think I may believe you."

James and Lily looked at each other and shrugged. This was easy, and very safe. They each gave Velorian a hair in turn, letting him see them pulling them off their heads, and gave the information he required. James stopped him after giving his.

"Velorian, I believe you mentioned this will also tell of Animagus abilities?" Velorian nodded, eyeing him oddly. "Well, I'm a stag. But I'm not registered." It took James a moment, but when Velorian started grinning he realised that he was impressed.

"How old were you when you completed it?" Velorian asked, pulling one of his own hairs and adding it to the first of three small vials. The other two already had James and Lily's hairs in them.

"I was fifteen; and as much as I loathe to admit it, it was Sirius and I who helped Pettigrew accomplish his Animagus form. Sirius is a large black dog." James added. "We all learned at the same time."

Velorian poured out the potion, taking his time to spill it all into one puddle, which rapidly spread out to soak the paper. James watched in interest as the boy's face developed under his eyes, and the name 'Velorian Dean Miser Mayfair' scrawled itself beneath the name, but above the address of 'Boarhound Animagus; harlequin'. Lily whistled lowly in admiration. James was amused to note that he flushed as she did so, and he quickly shuffled the paper to the side, pulling out another sheet and grabbing the vial with James' hair in it. He used the same care, and James was amused to watch his face materialize flawlessly on the paper followed by 'James Valkyric Potter' and 'Stag Animagus; natural; twelve point rack'.

Velorian snickered. "Nice rack James."

Tara flung a pillow at him, and James laughed. Velorian quickly apologized insincerely and poured Lily's vial onto another sheet. Her image materialized, above her name, 'Lily Marie Evans Potter' and nothing else.

Velorian hesitated. He leaned back into his chair, away from the coffee table and looked blankly at the sheets of paper. After a moment, he sighed and raked his hand through his blonde hair, folding forward till his elbow hit his knee. Howard placed a hand on his back.

"Velorian, if nothing else, I firstly don't think people seeking to rescue an enraged murderer would do it with four small children in their company-"

Velorian interjected. "They could not be theirs." But Howard continued speaking over him.

"And I don't think they'd agree to enter a stranger's house where there is no clear direction to get away in if the person takes offence to them." James and Lily shifted slightly, until Howard smiled gently at them over Velorian's back. They subsided, noting that he was merely making a point, not a threat. "If anything about Sirius is shifty, or untrustworthy, you know I have a supply of veritaserum which I will be using on him either way to ensure his story. If I do not trust them, I am in a position to either eliminate them, or turn them in at my leisure. But I am choosing to trust them for the moment, and I ask that you do so as well."

Velorian sat up and looked at Howard again, weighing his options until he finally chose to nod shortly. James and Lily sighed lightly, but stiffened some when he spoke up once more.

"I'm taking the Alfaerus' pistol with me though. In case Sirius, or someone else takes too much offence to me."

Howard merely raised his eyebrows. "Stunners only, Velorian." Velorian tried to object, but Howard raised his hand and he stopped. "They'll still be left to the Dementors that way, and since you and Tara will probably be pissing them off all evening, I fear they may end up ill-fated as it is."

Velorian pouted a moment, but acquiesced. Tara spoke her agreement, and Howard stood and clapped his hands.

"Wonderful. Thank you so much, Mayfair, Kent, and if you will give me a moment, I'll be back down to you after I see my guests to their rooms, unless you wish to remain?" Howard asked James and Lily. "We will be merely fleshing out the final parts, and –wait. The note." Howard stopped thumbing his chin.

James sighed and answered. "I think it would be best if it were Remus who wrote the note. Sirius will be as suspicious as Velorian was. And, unless Lily has some unknown store of energy, I think we'll both be most pleased to go to our beds. Just … Please be nice with Sirius. He's probably not in the best of shape right now, and he _is_ innocent. I know he is." Velorian nodded mildly at James' reassurance, before smirking and whispering something to Tara, which made her giggle. Howard nodded, and then placed his hand on James' shoulder.

"Sounds good to me, James. Your room is far upstairs, and I believe Barb already had your children taken to their nursery." Lily gasped; shocked at having forgotten them after supper, but Howard cut her off. "They are fine. Both children fell asleep shortly after the meal, and neither has stirred. We have a house elf keeping an eye on each child, and that's one house elf attentive only to your children. Anything your children need will be supplied, and you can order the house elf as you will, for fetching for the children, and to keeping watch when you can't be there, but you can still supersede them if you wish time alone with them. I'm sure you have some interest in your husband for tonight." James and Lily blushed some, but they were out of the room now and mounting a large flight of stairs, talking as they walked. Howard made no further comment on the subject, but continued speaking. "You can order meals, or snacks to your room at any hour, and you have all the comforts you may need there. If you don't find what you need, simply call for a house elf and they can direct you to anything."

James was glad for all his years at Hogwarts, and climbing its stairs, as this manor seemed to have a very similar amount, and they kept going up. Howard indicated the library as they passed, and when they finally reached their room, they were feeling completely lost. Howard merely smiled, and reminded them that were enough house elves, that they could easily ask for a guide in any direction. Then, they were left to each other in an opulent bedroom. Lily quickly found the nursery, to check on Rhiannon and Harry, before she moved back into their main room and eyed James up and down. James eyed her similarly, and smiled.

"Fine. Which door is for the shower?"

Lily laughed, and dragged him over to it.

> > > > > > > > > > > > 

A/N: Constructive criticism, or just whatever you have to say, would be appreciated. Reviews are inspiration.


	6. Chapter 5

**Somewhere, But How?**

Chapter 5

Velorian quickly decided that the North Sea was fucking _cold_.

All the talk they'd had that evening had settled into them port-keying in, and port-keying out, with Tara eliminating any traces of their passage. They'd also had to contact America again to fetch a few items, but once that had been done, it was mostly just nap until four in the morning, and then portkey into the water forty feet off the island. Tara was wearing a dry-suit with built in charms to keep her warm, and Velorian was the nutcase with a wetsuit and no additional charms. He was rather glad they were wearing what they were when they both appeared about five feet above the water, and dropped in with a rather loud splash. This rather obviously caught the attention of the Dementors. Velorian and Tara swallowed two very recent developments their friends had made: Oxygen pills to allow someone to remain underwater for an hour or more, and then they both dived.

Velorian glared up at the small ripples spreading from beneath the Dementors feet as they walked out to where Tara and him had landed, and sternly determined that Dementors should not be allowed to walk on water. He took only a few minutes to think that, though, and he quickly set to swimming towards the land, intent on getting out of the sub-zero water as quickly as he could. Knowing that he'd have to get back in it later didn't make him much happier, but at least he'd have fur then. Tara had sunk a weight, and was holding onto it, sketching runes above her head to eliminate any trace bits of magic in the area. She could have charms because she was in her 'null-magic' zone. He had to tough it out. His muscles cramped, and he stopped thinking, intent on getting to shore.

Velorian was grateful when he opened his eyes beneath the facemask and saw that he was nearing land. He fingered his heavy collar, and changed, grateful that the weight kept him below the surface as he approached. He couldn't find any ripples above his head, and he was soon scrambling up the bank, shivering. It was unfortunate Great Danes didn't have more fur.

Velorian didn't look back, and he quickly found a convenient puddle of mud, which he made a point of rolling in as much as he could. The white on his coat was rather noticeable, and avoiding Dementors was useless if you didn't avoid the few Aurors.

The bars on the grates at the outer edge of the prison were indeed wide enough for him to crawl through, and soon he was padding quickly along the halls, slinking through the shadows whenever a Dementor passed and pushing the disdainful laughter on the edges of his consciousness out with the intent on his goal. He knew what memory was his worst, thank you very much, and he was not going through that again.

Surprisingly enough, it was fairly easy to catch Sirius' scent on the air, and also, there were very few Dementors inside the prison right then. Velorian assumed they were all out wondering what was happening on the water, and he refused to think of what it would be like getting back out. He was here now, and he was going to find Sirius Black and drag him out by his hocks if he had to.

Velorian passed a cell and quickly turned back, rearing up to look through the small barred window in the door. Inside, there was a thin, dark haired man who still retained some look of decency. Velorian sniffed once more; James had taken one of Sirius' old shirts and given it to Remus for the morning, and there had still been the smell of Sirius on it. Velorian didn't want to think about how dirty it must have been, but he could recognize Sirius' scent now, and this was apparently him. Velorian dropped to all fours, and paused, listening for anyone to be nearby, and checking for the cold feeling of Dementors. He couldn't feel any, and he carefully eyed the lock on Sirius' door.

Howard had said most of the locks were simple bolts, but some of the more high security locks were padlocked in place. Velorian had brought his lock-picks, but he didn't want to change back inside the prison if he could help it. Sirius, however, was a high security prisoner with a fancy looking padlock on his bolt. He eyed it a moment more, and then changed back.

Once he'd changed back, Velorian heard the laughter in his head rise a moment. He almost panicked, as voices echoed faintly in the back of his head, but it got no worse. He subsided after a moment, realizing that it was just the reaction being enhanced by his change back to human. He pulled the lock-picks out of a small compartment in the weighted collar, and held his breath (although that had no ill effect, as the pill was still working) as he worked the padlock open. He slid the bolt back quickly, and stepped into the cell, coming eye to eye with Sirius Black.

Oddly enough, this wasn't as impressive as he expected. Sirius was hollow-eyed and slightly dazed, but he sobered rapidly as Velorian watched. Velorian quirked an eyebrow into an arch and smirked as Sirius visibly worked out that this was apparently real. Velorian didn't wait too long, and he quickly stepped up to face him.

"This _is_ real. Moony told me to fetch you for a big laugh. If you want more proof, there's a note in my collar. If you're willing to leave with me, you need to just turn into Padfoot. We have little time."

Velorian watched as Sirius changed from looking suspicious, to looking surprised. He quietly held out his hand, and Velorian quickly fetched the note from his collar, checking repeatedly for the sound of footfalls, or the increasing presence of a Dementor. Sirius took only one look over the short note, before handing it back to Velorian and changing into Padfoot. Velorian smiled, and tucked the note away, joining him in canine form shortly. Velorian ignored Sirius' look of doggy disdain at the mud, and took one step towards the door before calling himself three kinds of idiot and changing back. He opened another compartment of his collar and indicated that Sirius should change back as well. He didn't let him speak, but instead whispered quietly in his ear.

"Swallow this pill. It'll keep you alive under the water, supplying oxygen so you don't have to go up for air. It'll last for about an hour. You can test it by holding your breath before we get out there. And I'd advise against you changing back until we've taken the port-key, even if I change back or not, alright?"

Sirius eyed the pill suspiciously, but downed it with a muttered curse when he noted a chill spread further across his limbs. They both changed quickly, and Sirius followed Velorian out of the cell. Velorian nosed the door shut, and dragged the bolt across, shoving the padlock into a corner before pressing as close to the walls as he dared to slink past the roaming Dementor. Velorian was calling himself three more kinds of idiot in four languages as they worked their way outside. The Dementors had apparently decided whoever it was, was dead now between the cold and the time spent underwater, and they were now repopulating the main prison, especially those halls of the maximum security. Velorian and Sirius ducked and dodged their way outside, and they plunged quickly into the spray, the dirt washing quickly off Velorian's coat. However, problem number one was that Sirius couldn't dive. Velorian's heavy collar dragged him down, but Sirius could only barely dive, and only for short periods before he bobbed back up. Velorian swam out until he could stand under the water without bobbing back up as a human, and changed, reaching out for Sirius to swim down to him. He did so, and Velorian worked to keep them both under until he could reach Tara.

Tara was still sitting on the bottom of the seabed, deep beneath the shadows on the surface, and she waved as she saw them approaching. Velorian was aching with cold, and he had felt Sirius change from shivering to stillness, and he quickly gestured for her to give them the port-key. She dragged them over to the area she'd spelled and pressed the length of rope into Velorian's hands. Sirius bit down on it, and she activated it with a drawn rune.

Velorian had never liked port-key travel more than at that moment, and the change from freezing November in the North Sea to a warm sitting room with a roaring fire was more than welcome. He was surprised to find himself wishing he could just sit _in_ a roaring blaze for the next few hours. Sirius shook himself off and lost his balance before he changed back to human form, and that was all Velorian got to see before two women were suddenly on either side of him, casting warming charms that made his blood burn pleasantly, and stripping him out of the soaked wetsuit. He couldn't seem to remember why he'd worn that instead of the dry-suit at the moment, but he was mostly just surprised to not hear ice cracking as it came off. He didn't mind the infringement on his modesty either, so long as he ended up warm. The only thing he made a point of doing before giving himself over to the two ladies helping him warm up was to point a finger at Howard and give him one line of speech.

"I'm never doing any more fuckin' crazy-ass stunts like this for you again!"

OOOOO

James and Lily woke up the next morning feeling very rested. When the got downstairs to the dining hall with Rhiannon and Harry in their arms, they found only a few people there that they recognized. At the far side of the hall, Lyall and Louise were in a deep discussion, Louise's twins out of sight. Halfway down the table, the teenaged girl from last night was seated with a steaming cup of dark liquid in her hands, and looking very tired. Closest to them, Remus sat at the table looking very confused and flushed. James and Lily sat down next to him, Lily placing a comforting hand on his shoulder while suppressing her urge to grin. James hid his own smile by engaging Harry in peek-a-boo.

"Hey, Remus, how was last night?"

Remus lifted his head, still with a frozen look of shock on her face. "I don't think I've ever met a woman so … forward before in my life. She …" Remus' blush deepened. "She was very … sweet. I must say she's a very nice woman, and … very nice looking as well."

James couldn't suppress a chuckle, and Lily was smiling indulgently at Remus. Remus ignored it, in favour of glancing up at Lyall, slightly dazedly. Seeming to sense his attention, Lyall turned around and smiled brightly at him, before excusing herself from Louise and coming over. Louise trailed after her, her face worried and expectant. Lyall sat next to Remus and grabbed his hand immediately as Louise sat next to James to also engage the tired Harry in a game as well.

"Hello Lily, Remus really has a lot of good to say about his friends. I must say I'm quite surprised he's never had a lady-love before; He's quite the cat's meow." Lyall was bubbling over with happiness, and her face was glowing with a smile. Remus reddened once more, and Lily laughed.

"He's always been shy about himself, and nervous of his curse. I suppose you got him to open up to you?" Lily responded.

Lyall snorted. "I got him to do more than that! He's very talented."

"Lyall!" Remus shot, indignant. His face was as red as a tomato.

Lily and Lyall snorted, and Lily raised her hand to scold. "Yes, Lyall. A lady never kisses and tells?"

Lyall gave her doe-eyes. "Even if we passed kissing? I so want to brag though!"

Remus placed his head on the table as Lily and Lyall dissolved into giggles.

"James! Save me from your wife and the wiles of women!" Remus begged. James looked over at him innocently.

"Really? I thought it was best to just let them have their way. Then things a far more pleasant; happy women, happy beds."

The giggling increased.

"But they're all saying they want to brag, and last night-" Remus cut himself off. James paled.

"On second thought – Lily, if you want to discuss that, you go find somewhere else. If you talk bed manners, you don't do it around me. I like that to remain private, or at least I like to _think_ that you don't discuss it." James scolded, his voice lacking any heat. Lily and Lyall were gasping for air now, and Louise pouted slightly.

"That's not fair! I can't join the discussion yet; I haven't been with Sirius properly yet, and I won't be until he's feeling better."

This brought Lily, James and Remus to halt and look at her. Lily found her voice first.

"Sirius is out? Oh, Merlin, is he alright? How did it go? Is everything okay; when can we go see him?" Lily begged.

"He's in the Hodges' care wing at present, along with Velorian." The strange voice brought them all spinning to look at the teenager, who had come closer without them knowing. "They both got very cold while we were out there, and they're fighting to keep them from slipping into hypothermia or anything. They're both a bit under the weather now, and they've both been having nightmares." She scowled. "Go figure. Sirius begs for you two to forgive him, and Velorian has his own demons. You should be able to visit them sometime today, but I might advise Lily and James to wait. He'll need time to adjust to having his friends back from the dead, although I somehow think he'll forgive the weak explanation for pure joy."

James and Remus sank back, relieved, and Louise looked like a mouse trapped in a corner by a ravening cat. Lyall made a point of comforting Remus, and Lily herself sighed in relief. She looked up at the girl's –Tara's- face, and smiled.

"Thank you so very much. Is Velorian doing alright, or was he just cold?"

Tara summoned a chair over, and smiled lightly. "He doesn't react well to Dementors. I don't know why, but he doesn't and he doesn't talk about it. I suppose it's bad memories. He was also very cold, yes. The North Sea is freezing this time of year; I was cold in a dry suit with warming charms. He, idiot that he was, could have no charms, and he only wore a full-body wetsuit for there and back again. A Great Dane does not have as warm a coat as it could have had."

Lily nodded agreement. "We're very grateful for his actions, though. We thank you both, and you as you're here. Sirius was –is- a very close friend to us; James considers him a brother."

Tara smiled weakly. "Yes, that's what Howard said made him trust your assessment. He wants to give Sirius some veritaserum to get a full account of his side of the story, just to be sure. For a man so outside of the law, he likes knowing that the people he works with follow it to a near T, unless he asks them to step outside it."

James sighed, and grasped Lily's hand tightly. He placed his head on the table and began to shake lightly. Lily held him close and Tara smiled lightly at her before she carried her cup off to go stand in front of the fire.

House elves brought a breakfast for those there, and they each mulled over their own thoughts for some time. The hour was nearing ten o'clock when a tall, dark haired man stepped into the room and glanced around it at those within.

"I was asked to look up a Potter couple, and one Lupin, Kent, Catar, and Wolfgang?" Each of those present looked up at him and he eyed them oddly before continuing. "Lupin, Kent, Catar and Wolfgang, it's been determined you can each go into the care wing. Amos will take you there. I have a message for the Potters from Howard, to deliver to them alone."

Tara nearly threw her cup to the table as she hurried out the door to meet up with Amos, and Remus stood nearly as quickly as she did. In contrast, Louise nearly fell and Lyall had to almost carry her to the door. They left and the stranger walked over to James and Lily. His steps were extraordinarily balanced, and his whole demeanour was slightly … off to James' eye. It seemed almost false. He sat down across from them and gave them a hesitant smile.

"Hello, I'd assume you're Lily and James Potter? Would you like the house elves to take your children to the group nursery? We have a few children there ourselves; we kind of call them strays as Howard just ends up with them every once in a while, and I think your kids might like playing with them once they all are awake. The house elves are most careful, and there is a human woman who helps around there all the time. If you ever want to hold your child you just need to call a house elf and ask for them back. You seem a little stressed out, so it might be best for them, and for you. If there is a problem, you will be fetched, I promise."

Lily nodded mildly, and the stranger snapped his finger, summoning two elves that immediately took Rhiannon and Harry with utmost care as they popped away. The stranger gave them another smile and bowed from his chair.

"It's very good to meet you two; your skills are quite renowned. It was a sad loss to hear you died, and it's most delightful to see you in the flesh once more. I am Nicholas Moon, and I serve Howard in whatever professional function he has need of me. Right now, I'm apparently serving as a messenger, which is kind of odd. He felt you would like to see your friend once he was feeling better, but he's a little off at the moment. It seemed wise to tell Black what had happened first, and address his concerns then before he brought you two in, in the flesh. You may go whenever he asks for you, or at the latest, tomorrow. Considering the experience he just went through, and the nightmares he's had, we felt it best to allow him the chance to make the choice himself. Does that sound agreeable to you?" James and Lily both nodded. "Good. Your friends are going to see him now, and any of them can tell him the story if he asks for it, which I believe he will. This house is practically infested with house elves, so you can call for one at any time and they'd be happy even if you just wanted to call them and send them away over and over and over again. I once got very drunk and did something very similar; I actually had about a dozen of them just doing various dances for me. The next day they asked if I'd ever ask them to do that again, as they'd had great fun, and a lot of their friends had been quite jealous." Nicholas suddenly flushed slightly and turned away with a faint blush in his cheeks. "Anyways, for another topic rather than what I get up to when drunk. Howard also wanted me to assure you that he did in fact believe that you were who you said you are. Velorian is an excellent potions student so his identity potion is one that Howard himself trusts. However, I was wondering if you'd be willing to accept any other tests Howard had in mind to help prove your identities." Nicholas watched them carefully, with a strangely focused gaze, and James turned to Lily, watching her carefully. When she nodded, James smiled.

"Of course we would. He's been so kind to us; I don't see any harm in it. Although I do not wish to be harmed in any of this, and I'd also like him to document anything he's done." Nicholas raised his eyebrow at him, and James elaborated. "So then when we do desire to prove ourselves as alive, we have some documentation to give them as well, for reference."

"That's very smart of you. Out of curiosity, and this is more for myself actually, what do you think of the Hodges? I know they're somewhat peculiar, and you kind of ended up here a little oddly, but …" Nicholas shrugged and James smiled, sharing it with Lily.

"I like them." Lily answered. "They're very helpful, and friendly, and I just can't see any reason to even distrust their motives. We were strangers, and they jumped to help us with something most people would consider both ridiculous and impossible. And our story … how we're alive again … even I feel it's ridiculous coming out of my own mouth, and it's a story of what happened to me. I can't believe they accept it."

James nodded. "It's very kind of them to allow us to stay here when we don't even know them. I was surprised they were so willing to come over on the little information I did have of them." James blushed. "I honestly had no idea of what I was getting into when I asked for their help. I just had this vague idea that Howard wouldn't care about how far fetched the idea was, so long as it was a challenge, and so long as I had some credibility to me. I'd think he'd want more surety than that, but I can't help but be grateful for him trusting us."

Nicholas chuckled lightly. "I like your answers. What you didn't notice, which most Hogwarts students wouldn't, as they don't teach detection methods here until auror level and only few of those learn it well and unwanded, is that I placed a truth-based rune field around you. All the words you say and said are pure and honest truth; you realize that? Of course, I can lie like a rug because I set it, but you can only answer with the truth. Had you said anything about not wanting to be tested, or whatever, well …" Nicholas suddenly had a long, thin and wickedly sharp knife in his hand, and his wand in the other, the tip glowing a brilliant green. The weapon disappeared in the next moment, and his wand darkened to ordinary wood once more. "My most common profession for Howard is slightly out of the law … I'm an assassin, a paid killer, or less politely a 'kept' killer. Had you not checked out, you'd be taking a one-way portkey into the same place in the North Sea your friend Sirius skipped out at with weights tied to your ankles, and he'd probably be joining you very soon if he can't spin a better tale than you. Of course, if you guys check out, he probably will too, but Howard doesn't allow just anyone into his home, and he allows none to leave if they don't check out as being honest."

James stared at the very sophisticated looking man in front of him, someone who couldn't be much older than he was himself, and he blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what he'd just heard. An assassin? Howard had an assassin in his house? And he looked so … so polite. Lily placed her hand on his shoulder then and gave him a small smile.

"So, you're working with Howard to keep anyone suspect who comes into your acquaintance in line, I suppose then?"

Nicholas grinned. "Of course; it's the only responsible thing to do."

Lily raised her eyebrows. "And what if you're the person who gets out of line."

Nicholas smirked grimly then. "Howard doesn't let someone else do _all_ the dirty work; he can kill me as easily as I could kill you. I'm just someone who can handle being under suspicion better than he, and who's not in the public eye. He has a reputation to uphold. He has a number of checks placed on my behaviour though, so you need not worry about my personal opinions interfering in his business. As you are 'his business' my opinion doesn't matter, although I will mention that you do have my good opinion. Now then, back to the more normal 'messenger boy' behaviour. Do you have any other questions about Sirius' condition?"

OOOOO

"… Mild pneumonia, chronic nightmares, undernourished, magically drained, and his physical condition has deteriorated from lack of exercise. He had a mild case of hypothermia as well, but I got that out of the way first off. It shouldn't take long to get him back to health, but it will be a short while. Do you have any other questions?"

Louise shook her head absently, and everyone else was doing so as well. Tara was bouncing in place, trying to look past the healer to the two curtained off beds where Velorian and Sirius were lying. The healer sighed and addressed Tara.

"Velorian has had chronic nightmares, pneumonia, and hypothermia as well. The hypothermia has been treated, but pneumonia is a delicate illness for even magic to treat. His nightmares are his own, but hopefully they will abate soon. You can go see your friends, now, both of you." She continued talking to their rapidly moving backs. "If any of you wake them up I will hang you from the roof by your toenails. Neither of them is allowed to leave their bed, either."

Louise listened quite closely, but she was still heading straight for the bed, trailing after Lupin, who had run to the bed about as quickly as Tara had gone to Velorian's. Louise paused, and then changed her direction to follow Tara for the moment. After all, Sirius would want to see his friend first, and she needed to thank Velorian. She didn't need to try talking to the man quite yet.

Louise approached quietly, and when she slipped past the curtain she found herself smiling as she saw Tara holding Velorian close while nearly strangling him as she chewed him out.

"And only you would be stupid enough to go into the North Sea in only a wetsuit! What type of idiot are you? I'm surprised your eyeballs didn't freeze out of your head! You worried me all night long, you jackass, and I can't believe you would be that stupid. Did you learn nothing at all in your years of life? This is probably as stupid as you getting yourself seduced by that lady! You're still chasing her around aren't you and-"

Louise cleared her throat, and Tara cut herself off with a snap of her jaw, blinking blearily at her.

"Why hello Louise. I'd have expected you to be hovering over Sirius, not coming over here. Is there anything you need us to do?" Tara's tone had changed into being very polite, a sharp contrast to her earlier drawn out lecturing tone. Velorian was still silent; although it was probably due to the stranglehold Tara had him in more than any matter of his choice.

Louise smiled weakly. "I just felt I should thank Velorian for how kind and brave he was to go save Sirius for us. It was at great personal risk, and I'm very glad that he was willing to do so."

Tara blinked, and Velorian swiftly shrugged out of her grip, sitting up in his bed, and glancing over to the side, blushing. "It was nothing, Ms. Catar. I was just enjoying a challenge for my skills, but I'm grateful I was able to help. I appreciate your thanks."

Louise nodded, and shifted in place. Well, her thanks were now given, and there was no need to hang around here. Tara eyed her oddly, as she paused and worried her lip slightly, and then Velorian grinned.

"He's not that scary, Ms. Catar. I'm sure he'd be very interested to meet you, actually. He needs something to distract him, and you'd probably be wonderful for that."

Louise flushed, and Tara yelped, before she dissolved into weak snickers. Louise glared over at Velorian, but she could find no justification for her indignation. Finally she huffed, stuck her nose in the air and stepped back into space between the beds, not letting her feet stop until she passed the curtain around Sirius bed. Once she was in there, though, she had to rapidly swallow, and catch her balance as she came to a very abrupt stop.

Sirius was nothing like she'd really expected. She either expected to pictures to be completely right, or completely wrong. Instead, she was looking at a much cleaned up version of all the pictures Azkaban had given out. He looked his age, only months older than James and Remus, but his face was very thin. He had his black hair cropped short, and he'd been shaven since he'd come in. His bright grey eyes caught hers however, and she swallowed hard. She was pleasantly surprised to find a very strong attraction to him, even without really meeting him. His eyes were bright, and intelligent, and there were fewer shadows than she'd expected of someone coming out of Azkaban. The thought that he might have spent years there had no intervention come brought a painful chill to her spine, and she struggled with the sudden silence until she said the only thing that came to her mind.

"You … your son looks much like you, you know. I'd hoped he would."

Sirius blinked. "I have a son? When did this happen?"

Remus sighed, and Louise blushed. "Sorry, Louise. We hadn't quite explained all of this … mess to him yet."

"You should have." Louise barked. "You know how close J- they were to him, and they'll want to be seeing him soon. And you should have known I'd have a few problems with this; you didn't suddenly get two kids sprung on you with no warnings. No, you get to go through the normal process of getting a girlfriend, and coming to like her and marry her; while I get stuck with twins whose father I don't even know. No, no mess at all. Your friends are probably having an even worse time, coming back to life with an extra child nearly the same age as the other, and then having to break the one still here out from living with his horrible relatives, as well as breaking -. No, no problems at all."

Remus sighed, and rubbed his forehead as Lyall giggled beside him. Sirius looked utterly gob-smacked, and he was staring at her. Finally he shook his head almost as a dog would, and opened his mouth. He opened and closed it a few times before he looked at Remus.

"You've got a girlfriend? Is that her, beside you?"

Lyall fell into full-blown laughter, as Remus looked at her with a faint, warm smile on his rapidly reddening face as he nodded. Sirius sat back with a satisfied smile that quickly became a smirk.

"Thank goodness! I thought you'd never lose your virginity."

Remus flushed bright red, and Lyall laughed even harder. Louise even began to snicker from her place at the end of the bed, as she watched Remus' plight as he tried to find something to respond with. Finally he sighed, and changed the topic.

"Well, Louise gave a form of condensed story to you about how all this ended up happening. Would you like to hear the rest of it now?"

Sirius nodded, but he turned to Louise and spoke. "But I'd like to hear her tell it. She seems capable of making it quick and compact."

Remus blinked and nodded, pulling up a chair at the edge of the bed beside Lyall. Louise gulped and swallowed hard. "I think you'd rather have Remus tell it; he was there for more of it than I was, honestly."

Sirius looked her over once more, and shook his head. "You seem more direct. Besides, I want to … get to know you better, I suppose. You look somehow familiar, but I can't place any memories of when I met you. Kieran and Cassiopeia, right?" Sirius blinked after he spoke, and then he stared at her with even more intensity. "A boy and a girl, born in your home on October fifth, 1979 at seven in the evening, one right after the other. How the hell do I know that?"

"The same way the rest of us do, you nitwit." Louise snapped. She strode up on his right side, and sat down, opposite Remus. "Lily and James woke up in Godric's Hollow in their home two days ago at seven in the evening. They found a girl upstairs, a child who looked a lot like James –"

"Rhiannon …" Sirius whispered quietly.

Louise nodded, her face firm. "Yes, and after they'd found her, they apparated to your apartment and spent the night there. They woke up shortly before ministry personnel came to investigate the place, and James fetched a box of your personal stuff, something I know nothing about the contents of. Anyways, after he got that they apparated to Remus' house and startled him as he was putting himself back together after the full moon. James convinced Moony of who he was, and they sat down to talk out all the issues they'd had, and then Lily scryed for Harry's location. They found him being kept very unkindly in a cupboard and decided to apparate to fetch him back for themselves. While they were gone, Remus went down to the village nearest his home with Rhiannon, and we ran across each other. I'd woken up that morning to find the room off of mine activated and containing two cradles with children in them, twins – a boy and a girl, and I seemed to know all about them in a manner I'd never experienced before. Anyways, I called my friend Lyall and dragged her with me to go down to the village because I'd never had a child in my home before either, and so I needed to buy supplies. Magic can't supply everything, and I needed to get outside anyways. I ran into Remus while there and I was rather … adamant that I go back to his house with him, as there was an aura around the girl he was holding that was very similar to that of my own children. We returned to his home to await the return of his friends, and the children played on the floor as though they knew each other, and Rhiannon had no fear of me either, although she was cautious around Lyall. Anyways, when the Potters returned we had short introductions, and James proved the have a very strange set of memories, obviously derived from whatever had caused this shift in reality and he decided to divulge my history in a manner I usually use myself when I first meet a person. He mentioned that I had contacts that might be of use to them in freeing you, and I contacted the Hodges. Howard was most interested, so he and his wife came over with their daughter, supposing to have a long conversation. Instead, Lily suggested we move somewhere more comfortable, so we went over to their mansion after James made the gist of his request. Howard was absolutely fascinated, so once we were here he got the basics down in writing, Lyall dragged Remus off for a 'private conversation', and then he pulled in Velorian, the boy who fetched you out of Azkaban, and Tara, the girl who port keyed you back here. And now, you've slept through the night, and we're here talking to you while the Potters await you asking to see them. We felt you should get the explanation first, and then see the walking dead. Although they're very much alive, physically. Nothing without a soul can enter the Hodges mansion, and he's got warning bells for vampires and werewolves. He knows when they're in his home, for sure."

Sirius let out a sharp breath of air, and stared down at his knees thoughtfully for a time. Louise thought to herself that he really reminded her of Velorian. Bouncy, playful and open, he nevertheless was very solemn when the situation called for it, and this certainly did. Finally, he shrugged and grinned up at her, his expression now playful. _'Make that, he has the _exact_ same personality as Velorian.'_

"Well, I was right." Louise eyed him with trepidation as he spoke, mirroring Remus' expression. Lyall wore a look of unholy amusement. "You're friendlier when you're explaining something. You're really good at it, do you do it often?"

Louise felt her eye start twitching. "I happen to be a seer. You may have heard of me; I'm Louise Catar."

Sirius blinked, and pursed his lips. "Oh, wow. You mean I got to lay someone famous?"

The next instant, he was nursing a sore jaw, and Lyall was laughing once more. Louise was growling.

"Say that again; I dare you."

"I think I'll choose the better part of valour, and shut up. I don't want to know what you'll aim for next." Sirius quipped. His smile was gone from his lips, but his eyes shone. Louise fought down another smile. "So, you're certain Kieran and Cassiopeia are ours?"

Louise sighed. This was certainly better territory. "I performed at least four scries, and two parental tests and spells each on the two of them. They're both brother and sister, they have the same birth date, the one you mentioned earlier in fact, and all the parental tests came back to you as the father and me as the mother."

Sirius' mouth quirked. "You mean you've had men and women perform the opposite duties before?"

"Men have certainly been mothers before, and women couples have had one be a father, but I've yet to see a male-female couple with the roles reversed, though a few have indeed tried." Louise replied straight-faced. Remus looked slightly ill, and Sirius twitched.

"Okay, forget I asked. Now, I can't remember a thing other than the kids, so I suppose I should do this properly then. Louise, when the finally let me out of this ward would you like to effect as much of a date as an escaped criminal can manage?"

Louise twitched, and her lips parted as she stared at Sirius in surprise. She didn't attempt a single response, until after Lyall had fallen to a fit of snickers, and leaned conspiratorially over to the other men.

"That sort of response from her is rare. Last time I saw this was when she was doing the paternity tests. You've got her shocked beyond all reason. She's rarely ever this surprised. Sirius will certainly be good for her if he can catch her like this often."

Lyall ducked under the brilliant blue light Louise shot at her, but Louise then relaxed after a moment and sighed. "Fine, Sirius. Wait, no." She heaved a sigh, and then gave him a small smile. "Thank you and I accept. I wasn't expecting you to be so polite, and I'm very grateful for it. I certainly am not raising these children alone, so … thank you."

Sirius looked pleasantly surprised, and he grinned. "Well then. I'm glad that's arranged. Is there any chance I could see the kids? And … well …" Sirius' face fell. "I think … could I just see the –my kids."

"Ah, certainly." Louise answered. She glanced around a moment, before snapping her fingers. A house elf immediately popped into place, and bowed.

"Missy Catar called?"

"Yes, I would like to see my children, please. Their … father would like to see them."

"Yes, Missy Catar." The house elf popped out of sight, and then within a few minutes two house elves came into the ward with the children in a wagon behind them. They were both screaming happily, and the house elves immediately came up to Louise and bowed.

"The young Master and Mistress, Missy Catar. Shall we wait here?" The one in front spoke.

Louise stepped up and plucked Kieran from his feet, swinging him onto the bed with Sirius as she responded. "I'll call you when we need you. C'mere Cassi, come join your brother up here. Your father's here." At those words both children began to squirm like mad to make their way up to Sirius, who was watching them with surprise. Cassi tried to walk, fell and then crawled up to grab Sirius' hair, and both children were babbling.

"Paddad, Dad!"

Sirius looked between the two of them, flabbergasted, and then just swept them both into his arms, with tears on his face.

"Oh, Merlin! I can't believe this. I go from Hell on earth, to being surrounded by angels. You're both so beautiful, my children."

Remus was silent as they spoke, merely quietly watching his best friend cry into the shoulders of the two children, his children. Gentle warmth enveloped his arm, and Remus glanced over to find Lyall wrapping her hand around it, before she pulled him into a hug. Remus gave a small smile, and leaned back.

"They are beautiful, Remus. You're friend will certainly be good for Louise." Remus chuckled softly, and Lyall pulled him closer. "Do you want to be with me, though?"

Remus stiffened, and glanced at her in surprise, Sirius forgotten. "What?"

Lyall wore a wry smirk. "Do you want to be my boyfriend, and possibly more? I don't think I have to mention where I stand here. I'd have expected Sirius to be thick on this part, not you, but you can't have everything. You've gotta be flawed somewhere I suppose." Remus blinked hard, and opened and closed his mouth a few times. Lyall just watched, until finally she heaved a sigh and pushed him back around to face Sirius. "Fine then. Think on it. I'll be waiting. Here he is Sirius, sorry, we missed the question."

Louise held back a snicker at the rather shocked expression Remus wore. She wiped at her eyes again, and smiled shyly at Sirius before she rolled her eyes at him. Sirius laughed softly.

"It's alright, Remus. I suppose a beautiful woman can distract you. I was just … wondering who to ask to have James and Lily brought up here … and my godson. And his sister. I – I'd like to hear this … story, tale, whatever it is from them as well. And where's the kid who saved me? I haven't thanked him yet. Not properly. I was … a little off at the time."

"Off? Is that what they call it when a Dementor nearly sucks out your brains? Off?" Lyall drawled.

"That's what I like to call it, certainly." Sirius answered dryly.

"Enough of that." Louise scolded. "Lyall, can you go find the orderly? She'll know whom to contact. And as for Velorian, he's not supposed to get out of bed, but if he's anything like I expect him to be, that won't keep him there. I'll ask if he'll come over. I don't want you out of that bed. I'll stick you to it if I have to."

Lyall slipped out of the curtains, and Louise followed in short order, walking across the ward to the curtains surrounding Velorian. She softly cleared her throat to no effect, so she quickly poked her head in the curtains before she pulled back very quickly, blushing. It appeared Velorian was certainly feeling better, and that him risking his life for someone else disposed Tara very kindly towards him. It also appeared there were silencing charms on the curtains for obvious reasons. A few seconds after Tara poked her head out and glared at Louise.

"What the hell were you doing, hm? I was talking privately with Velorian, thank you."

"Sirius wanted to thank the boy who saved him, and since the silencing charms prevented me from getting your attention in a more polite manner, or knowing that you two were … occupied, I have to resort to less polite methods."

"Oh." Tara flushed. "I'll go ask Velorian about that. You're keeping Sirius stuck to his bed no matter what, hm?"

"That and I know Velorian won't be staying in that bad any longer than he has to. And if he's feeling well enough to get half out of it to … well, I think he won't be too objectional to being thanked, albeit less enthusiastically than you might."

Tara's head disappeared and a minute or so later, her head reappeared checking for the hospital officials before she helped Velorian out. Louise helped support him on the other side, and though he flushed with embarrassment, he let them help him across the hall to Sirius' bed. Louise pulled the curtain open, finding Remus and Sirius engaged in conversation. When they came in, though, Remus broke off and smiled, as Sirius looked over in surprise. They watched each other a moment, and finally Velorian leaned onto Tara and waved one hand weakly, smirking.

"Yo. You're looking better, certainly. Clean hair helps."

Sirius cleared his throat and glanced away, before he snuck a look back at the smirking teenager. "Well, having my sanity back helps, too. I just wanted to say thank you for getting me out of Azkaban. That had to be difficult, and … it just means a lot to me. You don't even know me, you don't know for sure that you did the right thing, you can't …"

Velorian waved his objections off. "The Potters checked out as being who they were, Howard trusts them, and if you aren't all telling the truth, you'll be back in the North sea, cold dead and likely never to be found, or if you are it will be attributed that you escaped but drowned in the attempt. Nothing special, nor remarkable, and likely no one will be alive to miss you."

Remus paled, and Sirius' eye twitched a moment. Tara cuffed Velorian up the side of his head, and scowled. "That was discrete, Velorian."

"If they're going to die, it won't matter; if they live they need to know how closely Howard guards his secrets. If they have nothing to hide they needn't worry."

"And yet everyone will worry that the small sins of their life will be frowned upon." Louise drawled. "You could have had more tact."

Velorian merely shrugged, and Sirius laughed weakly. Finally, Velorian looked back over at him with a small smile. "You're welcome, though. It was fun, doing the impossible. And I really think that bed is sounding like a good idea, so I'll just have Tara hustle me back over there before the orderlies tear a strip off my hide for being foolhardy."

Sirius, and his friends gave them short goodbyes, and Louise helped him get back into bed before she left with a few suggestions for their silencing charms. She was crossing the ward once more, when the door opened, revealing James and Lily with Rhiannon and Harry clutched warmly in their hands, Nicholas following them with a shoe box in hand. Louise smiled.

"Hello, James, Lily. Sirius is just over here, and he wants to see all of you. Come, in here." Louise parted the curtains to allow James and Lily to duck in, gently laying Rhiannon and Harry on Sirius' bed before they stepped back cautiously. There was an awkward moment of silence before James broke it.

"Hey Padfoot. You're looking well."

Sirius smiled weakly, before he shook his head and looked down at his blankets. "I'm sorry, I just …"

"Go ahead and ask, Sirius." Lily comforted. "You can ask all the questions you feel the need to verify any questions you have. We'll answer anything, yes James?"

"Of course. You can ask anything Sirius."

Sirius sighed, and raked his hands through his hair. He gave Nicholas a cautious glance, and Nicholas took the hint quickly and slipped out of the curtains, audibly striding across the hall. Finally Sirius took a few more moment to worry, before he asked his first question.

"What condition was I in when I showed up at your house after running away, James?"

James frowned. "You looked like Hell. Those were my first words to you at least. Broken leg, dislocated shoulder. Your dad had beaten you for being mouthy; I remember it well. My mom was worried as hell, she was certain someone had used the Cruciatus on you, and she was right. It wasn't pleasant, but it certainly secured your welcome in our home."

Sirius nodded weakly, pale and looking desperate. Louise was surprised, and a little impressed that he was checking who they were. Remus was watching cautiously as well, and he was listening very carefully to their responses.

Sirius glanced over at Louise, and then down at the bed before he glanced at her, James and then settled on Lily.

"What was your response to learning about James' twelve point secret?"

Louise felt her eyebrows rise, and Lily smiled back at him. "I believe I raked all of you through the coals for being so foolhardy. I think some of my more precise words were 'I did not think I was marrying into such a stubborn bunch of criminals, and if you don't give me a damn good reason, you will be dragged into the ministry by your ears!' Remus wasn't too happy with that, certainly."

Sirius smiled. "He wasn't, but he was the one to break first after he saw that we were keeping our mouths shut. Sorry if I mentioned it and Louise and Lyall hadn't already known, but since they seem pretty included already …" He shrugged, and James laughed lightly.

"Padfoot, she greeted me with that accusation. She greeted Remus with his secret too. I'm surprised she didn't do that whole dissertation of your life to you too."

Sirius glanced over at her curiously, but she wasn't looking at him right then. He raised his eyebrow and kept looking, saying nothing. They maintained the determined stance amid their friends' wicked smiles for a good minute before Louise broke, turning and glaring back.

"I didn't feel I should be prying into the life of my future husband, alright? I think it would be best for us to get to know each other in a more general manner. And don't read too far into that, Black." Louise blushed as she accidentally called him her 'future husband' but she stood by her words, even as her face flushed scarlet. Sirius' answering flush was both nerve-wracking and comforting – he'd noticed, but it made him as awkward as it made her. James' stifled snickers were not something she liked; his yelp when she stepped on his foot was, though.

"Alright, fine. Next question." Sirius hurriedly moved on. "What the Hell happened, James?"

"Well, that's the part we don't know. We just happen to have a weird set of half-present memories about Rhiannon, and I remember Kieran and Cassi, and even Louise in a similar half-there manner, but other than that …" James shrugged. "We're as lost as you are. Why is apparently not something readily available."

Sirius remained silent for a long time afterwards, staring down at the blankets over his lap. Lily and James shifted uncomfortably, before he looked up once more, a smile crossing his face.

"I guess if even you don't know, it's all true, then. I was usually the one to come up with the ridiculous explanations, so I suppose that's everything of it, yeah?"

"Yeah, that's everything Padfoot."

Sirius reached up to clasp James' hand and gave him a bright smile. "Now just think what sort of expression Snivellus would wear if he knew the Marauders were back once more."

James burst out in roaring laughter, and Lily began to scold Sirius. Louise watched the exchange with a small smile, ignoring the flickering images layered onto reality to enjoy the moment as it was. Sirius really didn't seem so bad after all.


End file.
